StarFox The Echo Halo: Run Alive Through the Light
by SyxxFox
Summary: Two worlds collied. A story of action, sorrow and repent. Guns firing, Cornerian and UNSC soldiers fighting together. A fox tries to survive with his true love as they fight along side others in a desperate effort to live, and to see the end of the world.
1. Fallow You Until the End

Ch 1: Fallow You Until the End

1300 Hours, September 22, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

* * *

"UGHAA!" a plasma bolt struck a raccoon directly in the chest. He dropped instantaneously, the MA5B fired as he flew through the air and onto the dirt.

"Man Down! Medic!"

"Keep firing! Don't let up!"

"Hostels left flank! Firing!"

"Changing Mag!"

"Reloading!"

"Another one down!"

"3 more coming left!"

"No! No! Behind that SG!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Running low!"

"What is that?"

"I don't care! It's not on our side! Take in out!" Sergeant Kaplan the wolf shouted. This new enemy was ruthless and did almost nothing but kill. It was the first ground engagement that Kaplan had been sent on to fight them. All he knew was that they called themselves, "The Covenant" and were a mix coalition between several alien breeds.

It was the first time he had ever seen them. Most were short and stubby others were slender and a few were taller yet, and very powerful. The tall ones were bigger then any of his team members and had a shielding of some kind. If you would fire at the shielding enough it would discharge and break but it was such an unfair advantage and waste of ammunition. Kaplan added another magazine into his BR55 Rifle. The ammunition counter on the display read a full 36 shells.

Kaplan and his Corneria fire team of once 30 now down to 26 were on the uphill side of a canyon. They had been ordered to defend what their commander: Commander Keeding had dubbed Post Alpha on a strange ring-like structure. It wasn't small the battle field was big. The ring could be a planet its self. This meant death if they were going to defend the post for that long and at the way this enemy fought them, he and his subordinates would probably not survive.

"Sir! We got enemy fighters coming in from the west! We gotta fall back!"

"Negative, we have our orders. We are defending this base at all cost!" the wolf shouted back at the soldier, "Keep firing!" Plasma bolts showered the ground in front of the sandbags and bunker. The air seemed to be alive with the tracers of his own weapons and glowing bolts of blue and green plasma.

"Look out!" Kaplan heard one of his squad members yell and point into the sky. There appeared to be a second sun. But instead of a yellow one, this sun glowed a bright white-blue and it was falling toward them.

"Out of the way!" another man shouted. The energy ball landed a great distance away but Kaplan could still feel the heat radiate against his fur.

"Take that thing out! Anti-armor, where in the hell are you?!?" the wolf barked. In another few seconds a bulldog came to bare a M19 SSM Rocket Launcher.

"One sec getting a lock. Firing!" the 102mm rocket blasted out from the barrel of the weapon, it circled in the air and rushed toward its target. The enemy vehicle hovered to the right in an attempt to dodge the rocket. But the lock had been acquired, the rocket tracked the target and rammed it square in the cockpit. The tank exploded in a beautiful blaze of yellow and blue-white flame, "Target down!"

"Take out those two flyers!" Kaplan commanded.

The bulldog looked into the sky and raised the M19 over his shoulder, "Got it!" in another second he achieved the lock. The rocket fired and sped to its target. The flyer didn't even know what had hit it. The brute power of the rocket was too much to withstand. The smoking fuselage of the flyer spun to the ground.

"Hey! Watch it!" a raccoon shouted at the Anti-tank gunner. It was too late though. The other flyer swooped down and picked him off just narrowly missing Kaplan. The bulldog's dead body was riddle with plasma scorching.

"We got… oh no," the surviving raccoon riflemen peeked over the sandbags wide eyed. No one let up their fire but they all looked. At the bottom of the hill were 4 more of the whale-like tanks, 9 small but fast hovering vehicles and 3 flying troop transports.

"Commander Keeding!" Kaplan spoke into the radio, "This is Fire Team Zulu. We are out numbered and are requesting immediate back up at Alpha Post!"

"Negative Fire Team Zulu. The Ripper has been engaged by a Covenant Flag Ship. Ground forces have been engaged in your area. You are to hold position and defend Alpha Post."

Kaplan stopped firing and stood wide eyed. Plasma bolts showered the ground and even through the air just to the left and right of him. He just stood there. He somehow knew he wouldn't get hit. Then he remembered were he was and his mission objective. There were only 20 left in his team alive, 3 of which were wounded and could not fight, "Grab all the weapons and ammo you can find we are disengaging. Evac the wounded and lets move," everyone jumped to their task.

"What about orders?"

"Forget them. This is more then just a war now. Let's move! Get into those LRVs!" said Kaplan. The fire team had 6 M12 Warthog Light Reconnaissance Vehicles. They had once been owned by a race that was now nearly extinct except for the odd straggler in space. As far as her knew there was almost none left. The LRVs were quick and were powerfully armed. The majority of the Warthogs were fit with 12.7mm machinegun. It was powerful and armor piercing. The other two were actually classified as M12G1 LAAVs but everyone just called them LRVs anyways. These weighed a quarter ton heavier then LRV with the machinegun but it made up for it with a powerful semiautomatic M68 25mm Gauss Cannon. It was good to an exceptional range and could take down enemy aircraft, ground troops, and even tanks.

Kaplan could still see faded symbol and letters that had once read UNSC but now it had been over covered with a round grid planet and a ring around it that read Corneria. These vehicles were less efficient then Corneria's but they were faster, tougher and more compatible to terrain, so the Cornerian Military and Defenses adopted the technology. Over all it was better then theirs.

"Let's go!" the wolf jumped into the passenger seat of the lead Warthog. The same raccoon rifleman climbed into the driver's seat. Some of the wounded had been put on the floor of other Warthogs since they could only fit a driver, passenger, and gunner.

"Where we headed?" the raccoon put his head down as plasma splashed on the paint of the vehicle. The gunner in the Gauss Cannon returned fire. The air around the cannon warped and twisted as each shell was compressed out of it.

Kaplan pointed forward, "Who cares?!? Not here!"

"Yes-sir!" the raccoon said it as if it had been one word. He stepped on the gas. The 4 tires of the vehicle spun for a moment and took off. The other 5 Warthogs fallowed.

"Commander Keeding, Sir. This is Sergeant First Class Richard Kaplan. We are aborting mission. Repeat, we are abandoning Alpha Post."

"You do not have clearance to do that! Repeat, you are to defend Alpha until further notice. Do you copy? It is important that we remain in control of that base."

"Affirmative I copy, but we are outnumbered and out gunned over 10 to one and rising. Sorry Command we're out of here!"

* * *

X 

X

1600 Hours, September 23, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Cornerian Military Complex, Corneria City, Corneria, Lylat System.

"These here are Grunts," General Peppy Hare tapped a pad in the briefing room. A holographic image floated above the large round table of the darkened room. The Starfox team sat around the table with the general at the head.

Fox had never seen anything like this before, not when he was on Sauria not when he was roaming the galaxy and not when he fought the Anglers. This thing was stubby and smaller then he was but it was still big enough to fight back. It was almost as wide as it was tall. It had a lot of mass to it too. The Grunt had what appeared to be as gas mask over his mouth and a large spike on its back. It was dressed in red armor and held a small weapon of some kind in a single hand. Fox scratched his chin, "Doesn't look like a big deal. Is that all our forces are up against?"

"These Grunts are the work horses of the Covenant. Though they aren't reported to be much of a challenge but they can be very dangerous in groups," The hare reported to the team. Peppy himself had once been a part of the Starfox team. When the team broke up he was promoted to the position of General of The Cornerian Military and Defenses. Peppy had a lot of combat experience and he long ago lost the ability to fly an Arwing with great skill. General was a good position for him after Pepper had fallen ill.

"And what's up with these weapons?" Falco said arrogantly. He slid a silver pistol across the table. Once it stopped moving Peppy picked it up.

"This is M6D Magnum…"

"Yeah and why are we using these? What was wrong with the Blasters?"

Peppy worked his paws over the weapon, "It is a lot stronger then the Blasters. Though you have to carry ammunition with you it's a lot more powerful and is an effective short to medium range weapon. It is equipped with a 2x scope and fires a powerful semi-armor piercing slug down range."

"And why are we using them?" Falco asked again impatiently

"These weapons were once used by a race called human. Though their technology wasn't superior to ours, their weapons are much more accurate and though not as efficient they are overall better in a combat situation. We adopted them when the Covenant destroyed them," said the hare.

"Huh, losers," said the avian.

"I don't know if you are aware Falco but this Covenant race has destroyed the humans. This is more then just a war. This is a war of survival…"

"A war of survival?" Krystal wanted to confirm what she had heard.

"Indeed, the Covenant is ruthless. We have tried to reason with them on several occasions but it just ends in our ships being destroyed or heavily damaged. They don't give up. They either hunt down to kill what they are after or they die trying. Even when we out numbered their space cruisers 3 to 1 they still fought back. In ground engagements they fight until they win or they fight until their very own death."

"So what do you want us to do about it?" the avian asked.

"Our translators have overheard the Covenant battle network say something about a weapon. A weapon of unimaginable strength and power, they called it Halo. We looked into this, Halo. From deep research over the crushed UNSC Battle Net we have the coordinates of this weapon. We need to take control of it. If Halo is a weapon and the Covenant gains control of it…"

"We're screwed," Falco cut him off.

The General maintained a professional standard, "Essentially, yes."

"Hmm," Fox grew suspicious, "are you wanting us to go get Halo?"

"Fox this is a universal matter. We are fairly confident that the Covenant has not acquired the location of Corneria…yet."

"What exactly are we looking for? A satellite? A key?" Fox asked.

"We have no other information on Halo except for the location. I don't know what you should expect. Now let's get on with this," the hare tapped another button on the keyboard. The image of the Grunt disappeared and another one of a taller and skinnier species came to view, "This is a Jackal. They are often posted as snipers. Many are a crack shot and use a plasma powered long range weapon of some kind. This weapon has a distinct blue tracer so if they do miss their position has usually been compromised by then. If they aren't posted as snipers they carry a wrist shield to hide behind. They aren't as plentiful as Grunts but when Jackal gang up they can create a wall with their shields overlapping each other."

"Hmm…" Slippy thought.

"And these," Peppy changed the image, "Are Elites. They stand around 3 meters tall. They are field commanders, very strong and extremely dangerous. They use a rechargeable energy shielding of some kind. It covers their whole bodies giving them an unfair advantage. Don't try to fight these hand to hand. You will lose."

"No kidding. Nine feet," said the bird.

The hare continued to brief the team of each of the each of the Covenant transports. When he was done with the information of the enemy he briefed the team on their mission, "We have a Cornerian Ship inbound to Halo right now. We lost contact with the Ripper as they entered the Linksis Dawn System. They have over 500 ground combat men but I'm afraid that won't be enough."

Fox's eyes widened. If Peppy had already sent 500 troops to find a simple weapon then this must be serious, "Is it that serious?"

"Yes, we have drafted all able citizens of planet Corneria. Who ever has not been drafted which are young children and women. They are on standby to evacuate the planet if the Covenant finds us. But right now the Covenant seems to be more interested in Halo," said the hare, "I refuse to let the Lylat System fall like Sol."

"Sol? Our sun?" said the toad.

The general explained, "Sol was the home system of the UNSC. Despite their best efforts Sol fell."

"Well team?" Fox asked, "Wha'da'ya say?"

"Hell yeah. I'm ready kick some ass," said the bird. He walked to Peppy and rolled the pistol back into his holster. Fox, Krystal, Slippy and Falco headed for the door of the dark room.

Peppy stopped them, talking to the vulpine, "I'm sorry I have to make you do this Fox. You're the only one I trust. The Covenant are nothing to fool around with and if they get even the slightest chance they will kill you."

"It's alright Pep. I'm not ready to settle down," the truth was that Fox hadn't even talked to Krystal about "them". Fox wasn't even sure if there ever had been a "them". He had just gotten her back from Starwolf a while back. He felt bad for sending her away in the first place but he now understood. They hadn't even talked that much so he simply thought that Krystal was still mad at him.

She probably was, and Fox could understand that. He was thankful for her choice to come back but he would have been mad if the tables were turned too. Fox would give her sometime to get comfortable with him again and hopefully she would come back around to her normal self.

Krystal felt betrayed by Fox. But inside she knew that he was truly sorry. But it was still awkward to talk to him. She had loved him, and he had broken her heart, now she was unsure of the vulpine. She didn't even know if he had ever loved her. The vixen read his mind time to time and he was often ashamed of himself every time that he looked at her. Krystal knew she still owed him so much.

He had saved her life and taught her everything she knows about flying. And she didn't want to leave him until she had at least repaid him that. Krystal knew he felt horribly guilty. He had once been able to make direct eye contact with her, but that had died. Now he just glanced at her a quickly turned away. She knew that he couldn't build the courage to look at her directly, not after what he had done.

"Hey Krystal. I'd like to thank you again for coming back to the team… cause you know," the vulpine felt guilty just talking to her, "you know… I understand now that you won't get hurt and that you can take care of yourself. And I'm really sorry for letting or… making you… leave in the first place. I can understand that you feel betrayed by me and don't want to be around me and if you even… hate me. But I really need your help for this next one. And I hope you know that I'm sorry for all that happened and if you stay on the team I won't let anything like that ever happen again. That was wrong of me. I should have known that you could…"

Krystal cut him off, "That was the longest apology that I've ever heard."

"Yeah, well you know… cause I am. And I'm gonna need all the help I can get for this next one. And I'm glad that you are still standing beside me even after all I put you through," Fox had kept it bottled up in his mind but this new mission scared him. He had never seen Peppy like that before.

Peppy was drafting people. That was something that had never been done before. That is what scared the most. Fox didn't know exactly what he was up against yet. The Aperoids had been basically drones, easy to predict and weak. Andross's troops were pretty much all morons. The Anglers were in a league of their own, but with his team he was able to defeat them. But the Covenant… Fox hadn't even fought with them and he was already afraid. That was another part that worried him. He had never been frightened by an enemy before. He had been intimidated but not ever frightened like this. Fox kept these feelings deep in his mind so Krystal wouldn't be able to pick them out.

He couldn't show his fear either. If his team's leader was afraid, they might loose confidence in the mission, "And you know, cause I feel really bad for what I did to the team and… to you and… well you know."

"I know you do Fox, and that's alright. I don't hate you. I will be with you as long as you need me," Krystal had a change of heart. Guilt now consumed her for making him apologize so much. It was his fault and he admitted his mistake and apologized for it. He was deeply sorry.

"Good, I mean… yeah. I realize that I took you for granted."

"I know you meant well Fox and that's all that matters to me right now."

"Thank you Krystal. And you know… if you ever need to talk to someone. I'll… I'll be… kicking around."

"Would you two shut up?" said the falcon, "We aren't done here. Save it!"

"Uhh sure," said the vulpine. The team walked down the hallway of the Military Complex. The Great Fox had been completely destroyed in a previous match with the Aperoids. Fox had ordered a new one of the exact same class and model. It sat on the largest of all the landing pads. The new Great Fox was a bright silver-white and looked almost the exact same as his fathers did except for some elegant black flashes on the hull. But besides that it was the same ship.

The team walked out of the complex and onto the large landing pad. The ship towered above them. It was such a beautiful day and it was hard to believe that the Lylat System could be exterminated. Fox spun around. The ground was rumbling, and behind him were two huge tracked vehicles moving toward the Great Fox. Behind those, were 4 smaller 4 wheeled vehicles. They moved up the ramp one by one into the shuttle bay of the Great Fox.

"Ok Fox, that's it," at the base of the Great Fox was the vulpine's old friend, Bill. Bill had been working odd jobs in and around the Military Complex. The dog tapped at his PDA. He wore complete a green camouflaged combative uniform. Fox noticed a black rifle slung around his shoulder, it was equipped with a scope too. The rifle looked rouge and what surprised Fox the most was that he had never seen one before.

"What are those?" Slippy asked Bill.

Bill laughed, "The ex-UNSC M808B Scorpion class Main Battle Tank. Way better then the Landmasters, the 90mm cannon is vicious! The cannon's range 10 times greater then the Landmasters main cannon. It moves slow but is heavily armed and armored. If you take a look you can also see a 7.62mm armor-piercing tracer round machine gun mounted on it. Like the Landmaster it can be piloted by one person. We're sending you two."

"And those?" asked the toad.

"They are what the UNSC had called Warthogs. We're sending you two with the 12.7mm machinegun and 2 with the brutal and personally my favorite 25mm Gauss cannon!" Bill said with pride.

"Gauss cannon?" Fox flagged down one of the drivers. The driver pulled over. The poodle in the driver's seat also had a weapon. This one was grey. Fox inspected the recon vehicle, "So it's a rocket?" Fox had always been a sucker for new weapons. They always interested him. He jumped into the back of the LRV and inspected the cannon.

Bill jumped up with him, "It's like a cross between a rocket and a bullet. It uses a powerful magnetic field to fire an explosive direct-fire projectile at sub-sonic speeds. You can crack more then 100 shots per-minute. Semi-auto!"

"Nice," Fox hadn't yet tried the weapon but had already fallen in love with it.

"You think that's sweet. The only thing that you guys have in your paws from the UNSC is the pistol," Bill flagged the driver forward. He and Fox got a free ride into the Great Fox. They held onto the cannon that stood in the back of the truck as it went up the ramp and into the Great Fox.

"Hey!" Falco waved down the last Warthog with his wing. The driver came and picked them up. Slippy himself was interested in the gun in the back so he jumped in. This type was the machinegun. Krystal climbed into the passenger seat. The LRV had no doors so Falco put his boot onto the edge of Krystal's seat and grasped the roll bars on top.

After all the vehicles were parked and secured to the ship, Bill led the team to their new armory. It was like a weapons palace. It was way more then anyone could ever dream of shooting. Bill unclipped one of the rifles. It was his job to brief team Starfox on their newly acquired weapons, "Ok you guys got a lot of choice of guns," Bill threw the rifle to Fox. The vulpine caught it midair.

Fox looked at the long black rifle. It was the exact same on that Bill had slung around his shoulder. He noticed a number just below the rise to the scope, "00?" he asked in question.

"That's the BR55 burst-automatic rifle. 9.5mm, 2x scope, 36 sized clip. The number is an ammunition counter. As soon as you slip a fresh magazine into the gun it reads how full it is," Bill grabbed another rifle and through it at the avian, "Same with this one."

Falco caught the rifle. It was a grayish weapon, "What's this?"

"That is the MA5B fully automatic rifle. You can see the ammo indicator on it too. Not as powerful or as accurate as the BR55 but its got a 60 sized mag for more fire, maybe a bit better for close range. Here Slippy catch," Bill passed the toad a gun. Slippy fumbled it is his hands for a moment then got a firm grip of it, "M90 8 gauge pump action shotgun."

"Cool," said the toad.

"Krystal," Bill handed her a gun, "M7 Submachine Gun. Fires small 5mm rounds at an amazing rate, best use for close quarters and with the info we have on the new enemy I wouldn't suggest that you use one at all. And the last two we got are the SA2 sniper rifle and the M19 rocket."

Fox and Falco immediately dropped their weapons, "Let me see that," they said it at the exact same time. Fox grabbed the sniper and Falco the rocket.

Falco looked over the rocket, "Are you kidding me!?! A double-barrel rocket launcher!?!"

"The scope on this sniper rifle is amazing!" Fox exclaimed.

"How did these humans get killed?" Falco lifted the rocket onto his shoulder and noticed the scope, "They had awesome weapons!"

"From what I heard," said Bill as he tapped at his PDA organizing information, "They were simply overrun."

"How many were there?" the vixen asked.

Bill didn't know the real number so he just gave a simple answer, "Lots. The UNSC could handle themselves on the ground but they were completely destroyed in space combat. The Arwings are all yours. You might not need them though. Anyway if you do, the Arwings are faster and more agile then most if not all Covenant Space Craft. So you'll have a good time with that."

"So are we ready to go and kick some ass or what?" Falco was impatient and already prepared for the fight against this ruthless new foe.

"Everyone is off the Great Fox and you are clear for departure. ROB has been installed to the system," said the dog, "Fox?"

Fox put down the sniper, "Yeah buddy?"

"Good luck," Bill shook his paw, "Be careful. You don't know what you're up against. This is serious. The Covenant doesn't take prisoners. They kill them. As always this is in your hands. So… give it to 'em."

"You got it!" Fox said as Bill walked out of the armory, down the ramp and retreated to a safe distance for the Great Fox to take off. The team put down the guns and secured them into their proper spots. Everyone looked at Fox as if he was about to do something, "What are you looking at me for? Let's do it!"


	2. Repent

Ch.2 Repent

1630 Hours, September 23, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Cornerian Military Complex, Corneria City, Corneria, Lylat System.

* * *

Fox didn't walk, but ran to the bridge. The others soon took off fallowing him. Fox slid into the bridge of the massive Great Fox ship, "ROB let's get this thing off the ground." 

"Affirmative, commencing launch systems."

"You might wanna sit down for this one," said Fox. He was the only one on the team that had ever launched to Great Fox from the ground. All of the other Space Craft had been built in the dry docks but not the Great Fox. He and his father had done it when he was young. The team abided and each took a seat. The landing pad shifted to a 20 degree angle. Fox heard the engines begin to charge. It wasn't often that you could ever hear the ship's engines. It took a great deal of power for a ship of such mass to break the gravitational pull of the planet, "Hold on."

Krystal was frightened to a small degree. She had never witnessed a ship this large takeoff directly from the surface. But Fox seemed confident enough. All she could do now was hold on. She couldn't help but bare her fangs when the ship slowly started move forward and then takeoff. The movement felt slow but she could see from the view in front of the bridge that they were traveling over the speed of sound and soon, the once blue sky turned dark and filled with stars as the Great Fox broke orbit of Corneria.

Fox rose from his seat as Peppy's image came onto the holographic screen of the ship, "Fox we are opening a portal to the Linksis Dawn System."

"Got it. ROB, take us into the Space Station," Fox commanded. The robot acknowledged the command he was given and turned the Great Fox to the Space Gate that was being opened. It was glories. The gate glowed bright green and expanded.

"I can't tell you what to expect on the other side Fox. So be careful," said the general.

"Yes sir. Peppy, see you on the other side."

"Good luck to all of you and try to come back in one piece," said Peppy. The Great Fox shifted forward and slowly moved into the green light. The bow of the ship pierced the field. A green wall moved through the bridge and the rest of the ship. On the other side was a blue and green planet. It was similar to Corneria.

"It's beautiful…" said Krystal.

"Hey what's that?" Slippy tapped at his control station. He brought an enhanced image of the planet into view.

"Oh my god," Fox stepped back. He wasn't expecting anything even close to this.

"Is that…" Slippy started to say.

"Yeah that looks like a halo to me," said the bird.

"But it's so big," Fox could barely believe what he was looking at. It was a ring that was tenth the size of the planet. It was massive. Fox was expecting more of control room on a planet or a small satellite in space. Fox got a satellite alright, a huge one, "Look there. Slippy, zoom the view in more."

"Alright," in another second the view magnified more.

"That might be a problem," said Falco. Around the ring was a blue and silver ship. It was obviously not Cornerian. It was shaped more like a whale then a space craft.

"The Covenant Flag Ship has a scale of 1 kilometer long," ROB said in a monotone voice.

"Shut off all power to the Great Fox. Make sure the ship comes to complete stop. Enter stealth mode," Fox commanded.

"Affirmative," said ROB. The ships engines, motors and everything else except for the life support systems went offline. The Great Fox didn't move any closer or farther from the ring. It stayed in a static position.

"We can't fight a ship that big," said Fox. He wanted to get down to the planet and help so badly. But he couldn't.

"So what do we do now?" asked Falco, "If that ship is one kilometer long then that makes Halo even bigger then I thought it was. Halo has to be at least 100 kilometers just across. Not to mention how long it must be circle the entire ring."

"We have to get down to the ring somehow," said the toad.

"Slippy? How much do you know about the teleporters for sending vehicles?" said the vulpine.

"I fix 'em all the time. What do you need to know?"

"I don't want to move the Great Fox in any closer then I have to. How far can you send things?"

"Well pretty far…"

"From here to Halo far?" Fox asked with a grin.

Slippy thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes it can. By why would you want to send vehicles to the ring if we aren't even there?"

Fox grinned at him, "How about people?"

"Well, it's never been tested but I suppose you could do it if you recalibrated the inverter to a lesser frequency of…"

"Just make it happen," said Falco.

"What? Are you serious?" Slippy looked at Falco then at Fox.

Fox nodded, "Can you do it?"

Slippy was slightly offended, "Of course I can do it!"

"Well then get on it!" snapped the bird. Slippy ran out of the bridge and toward the Transporter Room. Falco heard him trip and fall to the floor just behind the blast doors that led to the bridge, "Agh, I better go help him," Falco left the bridge.

This left Krystal and Fox alone in the darkened bridge. The only light that shone into the ship was the light from the planet. Fox felt extremely uncomfortable being around Krystal alone and he didn't know what to say to make conversation.

"Didn't Peppy say there was a Cornerian ship?" Krystal searched the display looking for another space craft.

"That's right. He did. But I don't see anything. That's not good," said Fox.

"Will they be alright?" Krystal asked Fox as if he would have known the answer.

"Yeah, they're tough they'll be fine."

"What makes you so sure?" Krystal asked again.

"I'm not."

"Hmm," Krystal read his mind, "Why do you think they are dead?"

"Krystal I hate to admit it to someone but this… scares me. I can feel the fear in my stomach. I have never fought an enemy like this before. I've never seen Peppy take something so seriously and I'm just coming to realize that I might not be enough this time."

"Fox are you feeling alright?" The Fox McCloud that Krystal had known had never himself known fear. She started to suspect something was wrong.

"All I'm going to do is go in and do my best. But I've never had this feeling before. I'm coming to realize that… I might not come out of this one alive."

"Don't say that Fox, you're scaring me"

"Oh," Fox put his paw behind his head as he did years ago to show he was uncomfortable, "I'm sorry. I forgot about… that."

"You'll be more then enough Fox. You always have been. You are going to complete this mission just like you always do and you will come out alive."

"How do you know?"

"Because I won't let you die."

Fox bit his lip, "Krystal, if I fall behind and I can't keep up. I want you to promise that you'll leave me, and save yourself."

"I'm sorry Fox. I can't make that promise to you."

"I don't want you to get killed just because I was being a hero. Or if I made a wrong move, I don't want to drag anyone down with me."

"I won't allow you fall behind or make a mistake. If you do I'll be there with you."

"I don't want to make you do that."

"I won't."

"That's good," Fox didn't want to take anyone with him if he was going down.

"I'll be doing it by own decision. You came back for me Fox. Even after you let me go, you came back. You never let me down and I'll never let you down either."

"Yes Krystal, I did let you down."

"No you didn't. You were trying to protect me."

Fox turned his head in shame a tear ran down the fur on his cheek. He thought to himself, "You're a hero Fox. You shouldn't be this way. This is wrong. You're stronger than that. You're and influence and if she sees you like this she might loose faith in the mission. That's all that matters right now, nothing else. You'll go in there and get the job done Fox. And once more you'll do it right the first time. Fox, you will not let happen to your race that had been done to the humans. Stop crying right now."

"We all have to cry sometimes, even heroes."

"I'm sorry you had to see that Krystal. That will never happen again. I just can't get over what I had done to you. I betrayed you. It was something I never should have done. I did let you down and I can understand if you can never forgive me."

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

"It's hard not to be…"

"Well does this help?" Krystal stepped over to the vulpine and wrapped her arms around him.

Fox held her back, "I'm so sorry."

"It's ok Fox. You thought it was the right thing to do and you were only trying to protect me. And I forgive you."

Fox held her tighter and he finally knew that he had been forgiven, "Thank you Krystal. Thank you for forgiving me for what I had done to you."

"I know how bad you feel and I don't want you to be that way any longer. Fox you taught me everything I know and I would be nothing without you. Do you remember when you found me on top of Krazoa Palace?"

"Yes, I do."

"To tell you the truth, I didn't trust you then. Even though I could sense that you were working to save the planet and to save me and even when I dreamed about you. But when you had my Staff, I thought you were evil. It wasn't until after we arrived at Corneria when I began to trust you."

"That's cool with me."

"And I lost all hope when the team broke up. I didn't know where to go."

"It's alright. That won't -ever- happen again. I won't allow it."

"I know you won't. You feel bad and have learned your lesson."

The door slid open. Falco came out. He had a Rocket Launcher on his back and a MA5B in his right wing. He held the rifle like a pistol, the barrel on the weapon was rested over his shoulder. Falco let the gun fall into his other wing, the mechanics of the gun shifted as it hit the wing, "Am I interrupting something?"

Fox pulled away from Krystal, "Err, No! Of course not!" I'm good to go!"

"I'm ready too," the vixen giggled. She smiled at the embarrassment of the vulpine. She could tell by his tone of voice that he felt better for being forgiven. Krystal wanted him to be better and no matter what she wouldn't let him die on this mission. Krystal once again felt comfortable being around Fox.

Though the vixen could read his mind she hadn't known he felt that horrible and it was good to finally return one of the many favors that he had given her and even though he had sent her away from the team she was still in his debt. She also knew that Fox would need her for this mission. Krystal was a healer back on her home planet of Cerinia, and it could come in handy.

"Well then what are we waiting for? Grab some guns and lets hit 'em where it hurts," said Falco. The two foxes ran in front of him and into the armory.

"Grab everything you can possibly carry. We're going to load up two of those LRVs with everything we can. We'll take one of each. A cannon and a machinegun we might need the power of the cannon and the suppression of the machine gun," Fox loaded his arms with all the ammunition he could possibly carry.

"And I suppose you'll want to be on the boom-stick?" Falco laughed.

"No Falco, we don't get to shoot. You and I get to drive. We're better drivers then Slippy or Krystal and if we need to do something drastic I know you'll be able to pull it off."

"And we won't?" Slippy ensured the both of the Warthogs they were taking were full of fuel. He buckled down as much extra fuel that each one could carry.

"Yes Fox. What's wrong with us?"

"Err…" The vulpine hesitated, "No it's not that! I just think it would be better if you and Slippy can err…"

Slippy laughed. He knew that both Fox and Falco were way better pilots them him and therefore were probably better drivers too, "I know Fox, we were just having fun with ya."

Fox walked back to the armory in the room just across from the Docking bay. It was time for him to collect his weapons. But he didn't yet know what to take. He knew that he that he truly wanted the raw power of the 14.7mm bullet that the SA2 sniper dispensed, so he took that. But he could still carry another weapon aside from the M6D pistol. Either the BR55 Battle Rifle or the MA5B automatic rifle would be nice too. The shotgun was ruled out. Fox knew it was a bad idea to have a close range and a long range weapon combination. Medium range weapons were the most effective on a battle field.

Bill had advised him not to take to SMG and the dog knew his weapons so Fox wouldn't take that. Another rocket launcher was unnecessary. He looked again at the black Battle Rifle, "Screw it," the vulpine took the BR55, "What have you guys decided for weapons?"

The avian was the first to answer, "The rocket and this grey rifle of whatever is may be."

Krystal already knew exactly which ones that she wanted. She had already forgotten what they were called, "I want this and this," she picked up the M90 shotgun and the same Battle Rifle that Fox had taken.

Slippy had already memorized the exact models of each of the weapons, "I'm taking both rifles, the BR55 Battle Rifle and the MA5B Assault Rifle."

Fox laughed, "No one wants the Sub Machine Gun?" He didn't get a response. The whole team just strapped down their guns and as much ammo as they could possibly carry, "Alright then. Make sure that we don't take any of the 5mm rounds. Swap them for 7.62 and 9.5 rounds for the two rifles."

Slippy got to the task immediately and removed all the bullets for the SMG, "Ok the M68 Gauss Cannon vehicle has 2 boxes of sniper rifle ammo, that's 200 shots for that. 10 boxes of BR55 ammo, 10 boxes of MA5B ammo, lots of slugs for the pistol and 6 rockets, oh and more then enough 8 gauge shells. And in the Machinegun Warthog. There is no sniper ammo, 10 boxes of each for the rifles and 15 rockets."

Fox inspected each LRV. The passenger seats were full of a few extra weapons and the ammo, "We have enough fuel?"

"Took care of it," said the toad leading him to the rear of the tall vehicle, "Each one has more then we could possibly use. The vehicles are a hybrid of some kind, very fuel efficient. But we still got a lot more."

"Hey Foxxie? What about these tanks?" Falco kicked the front track of the Scorpion tank.

"If things get hairy, I'll have ROB send us one."

"Fox they gave us two," said the avian.

"I know. That's what worries me. Anyway, who's going in which?" Fox had been wondering who was riding with whom and who was driving what. He wanted the better shot of the two, Krystal or Slippy to go onto the 25mm cannon.

Though Slippy wanted to know how the cannon on the Warthog worked he still just jumped into the back of the other one, the LRV with machinegun, "I get this one!"

Krystal had overheard that she was shooting and she climbed the back of the LRV with the Gauss Cannon, "I'm ready too."

Fox stood with the avian, "Well? Which one you want?" said the fox.

"I don't care. They're the exact same thing. You take the one you wanna drive."

The vulpine hesitated for a moment and then remembered the conversation he had with Krystal, about keeping each other safe. But the vulpine didn't want Falco to make fun of him for picking the one with Krystal. He made it sound like he wanted the LRV with the cannon, "I get the boom-stick."

"Fine," Falco climbed into the LRV with Slippy at the turret in the back.

"Ok ROB, we're ready to rock and…"

"Wait Fox!" Slippy exclaimed.

"What?"

"Because the transporter has been recalibrated to send organic matter, it took away some of the accuracy of the teleportation. I can grantee you that we will end up on the ring. And as long as we transport together, both vehicles and passengers will end up in the same place. We will end up in a place with atmosphere is all I can tell you."

"ROB! Let's do it! Send us to Halo. Divert all power to the shields of the Great Fox once we are gone," Fox had the pre-mission jitters but he was now full of confidence and ready to take on the task that lay ahead, "Ok everybody as soon as we hit the surface, have your weapons ready. We don't know where we're going to end up so Falco, get ready to hit the gas if the area is hot. Keep your eyes sharp and watch your fire. We might still have friendly units down there."

"500 troops, Huh, we better still have guys down there! Let's hit it!" said the avian.

"Leave this to the pros!" exclaimed Slippy.

Fox hadn't heard an answer from Krystal. He turned his head around. Krystal peeked around the protective armor of the 25mm Gauss canon. The blue and red fox made eye contact. Fox no longer felt ashamed to look at her eye to eye. He gave a quick nod, and talked to her inside his head, "Are you ready for this? I won't leave you behind, I did that once already. But I don't expect you to do the same for me."

Krystal returned the same motion and whispered just so the vulpine could hear it, "Don't worry Fox. We're both coming out of this alive. I refuse to let either of us die."

Fox thought to Krystal, "Thank you."

"You're welcome Mr. McCloud," the team and their LRVs began to glow in a furry of florescent light. Fox could feel every molecule of his body disassemble. It was the same feeling as the shrines on planet Sauria. The team soon disappeared from the docking bay of the Great Fox, leaving the ship quiet and motionless.


	3. But My Mind Still Feels the Same

Ch. 3: But My Mind Still Feels the Same

1700 Hours, September 23, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Unknown Location, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

* * *

"Left side, clear," Fox said quickly. He had the Battle Rifle raised to his shoulder. He searched through the optical scope of the weapon. If anything was as to so much as move he would open a fire of hell straight into head of target. He wouldn't get stopped this early, no way, no how.

"We're good over here," said the Falco.

"Nothing seen."

"I don't see anything either Fox," Krystal slowly spun the turret of the Gauss Cannon. She could hear the hydraulics of the turret hiss every time she moved it. They had landed on the ring that was for sure. On two sides Krystal could see the ring rise into the sky and the two ends meet each other on the top.

"Ever wonder where we go from here Foxxie?" said the Falco he climbed back into the seat of the LRV.

"We have to find a friendly base. They can brief us farther on the situation and tell us were ground forces need the most help. We won't have to worry too much about friendly fire, but still watch your shots and confirm the target before you fire," Fox lifted himself into the tall LRV.

"So where to?" said the bird.

"We should stick together. If we need the power of either turret we will have them both. Just fallow me," Fox stepped on the gas and the Warthog took off.

It was the first time he had ever driven it and he already liked the design of the LRV was very sleek and it didn't whistle like the Landmaster did, so you could even keep a conversation going. It was the first time that Fox had noticed one particular design, this was that both the front and rear tires steered the vehicle. It gave it and edge for corners and made the handling skyrocket. The terrain was similar to Corneria in some places. Except for odd structures that shot beams of light up into the center of the ring, Fox didn't know what they were or what they meant. All that mattered right now was that they find some friendly activity and find out what was going on.

"Yo Fox," Falco opened a communications lick between the two trucks, "hold up a sec. I thought I saw something back there."

"I did too," said the toad, "It looked like a Warthog."

"A Warthog?" Fox must have missed it, "Hold on Krystal," Krystal brace herself as the vulpine hit the break. The LRV did a perfect 180 and now faced Falco and Slippy.

"That's some pretty fancy driving there," Falco did a donut. Rocks and dirt flew from the oversized tires and onto the Fox's windshield.

"Hey," said the vulpine shielding himself but putting his arm above his head so that the rocks that came in from over the roll bars would hurt him.

"Oh stop your whining and fallow me," the bird hit the gas as hard as his boot would let him.

The treads kicked up more rocks onto Fox's LRV, "Falco," Fox said with a tone.

The avian laughed, "You're the one who wanted me to drive."

"Yeah, and I'm starting to regret it," Fox laughed back. He steeped on the throttle and shortly caught up the other LRV.

"It's just up here," said Slippy

"Keep your wits about you," said the vixen. She took the safety off of the cannon and readied herself.

The Warthog lifted from the dirt. The massive shocks absorbed most of the lift, keeping the vehicle planted on the ground. The LRVs tires tore through a small stream and up the bank. On the other side was a Warthog it had tipped over on its side and the team could only see the underside of the huge recon vehicle. Falco stopped the LRV, and Fox right behind him, still 20 meters from the overturned Warthog, "Krystal and Slippy stay on your guns but hold your fire unless you can confirm what you're shooting at is bad. Falco we're going in."

"Got it," Falco jumped out and raised his MA5B to his shoulder. Fox used the side arm that he had been issued. They slowly crept to the LRV.

Fox peeked around the vehicle. On the ground just on the other side was a raccoon rifleman. The vulpine lower his weapon and went to aid the soldier. He tapped him in the chest as if he would do something but he remained motionless. Fox put his paw to the raccoon's neck, to check the pulse and to his surprise he was more then alive. The rifleman's heart raced and pounded hard. Fox suddenly heard the mechanics of multiple weapons at work. Rifles were cocked as ghostly figures popped out from behind rocks and odd shaped trees. Fox prepared for the worst he lifted to magnum and put the ridicule of the pistol scope on the heads of one the targets. That's when heard yelling, "Hold fire! Don't shoot!"

Falco had his safety off and was ready to fire, "What's going on here?!?"

Voices chattered from the other side of the cover, "Hold fire."

"Don't shoot!"

"Who's that?"

"What are they doing here?"

A wolf jumped over a rock. He spoke directly to the avian, "Just what do think you're doing."

"Excuse me!" said Falco. He never took and guff from anyone.

"Just what do you think you're doing here?"

The wolf and Falco moved closer to each other, "We were sent here to save your sorry asses," Falco poked him in the chest.

They were both the same size. The wolf leaned closer to the bird, "You've got a lot of nerve."

"Enough!" Fox broke them up, "What's going on here?"

The wolf stepped toward the raccoon that was lying down, "Get up Mitchell."

The rifleman literally jumped off the ground, "That scared me."

"Good job Mitchell, takes a brave man to be the bait. Especially for the Covenant."

"What are you talking about?" said the bird.

"Just who do you think you are to just go and disturb an ambush?!? Don't you know we could have shot you!" the wolf spoke aggressively.

"Team Starfox," said the vulpine.

"What? Are you serious?" the wolf said.

"Don't we look like it?" Falco asked with an attitude.

The wolf knew who the leader of Starfox was. The team was basically famous. But the last place he would have expected him to be is here, "Sergeant First Class Richard Kaplan."

"Captain Fox James McCloud," the two mammals shook paws.

"I didn't know your middle name was James," Krystal said as her and Slippy came around from the other side of the tipped Warthog.

"Yeah well… it is," Fox shot an awkward grin at the blue vixen.

"Captain, it's great to have you here. We could use all the help we could get," said the wolf.

"What is this sergeant? An ambush?" Fox asked.

"Yes sir. We were sent to capture Covenant troops for slaves and answers to Halo. No one knew that you were here and if we would have, we would have given you our bandwidth frequency for our encrypted channel. Nice to know that you're here though. We could really use your help the help of team Starfox," Kaplan spun his paw in the air. In nothing but a second 10 soldiers and 5 Warthogs appeared from nowhere.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Slippy.

"Well," said the avian, "It's good to know that we still got some friendly forces down here."

"Where's your command post sergeant?" said the vulpine.

The wolf motioned his head, "It's about 2 kilometers up spin from here. We are on the very edge of the perimeter," the wolf looked around expecting to see enemies, "You guys should check in with Commander Keeding."

"What happened here? Where's your ship?" said Slippy.

"I could give you some answers but it would be best if you go to straight to command. You should get out of here, it's gonna be dark soon. We have snipers all over the area. Don't worry as long as you're with the Warthogs you won't get shot at. Not by us anyway. Your path should be clear too, we have been sweeping the area from here and the post and haven't found anything. If we would have, the snipers would have taken it out long ago. Everyone retake your positions. We are going in for round two," the wolf turned team Starfox. He didn't want them to be right here, right now,"You should get moving."

"Yeah Fox. Let's not interfere with these guys anymore," Falco pulled his Warthog up to pick up his gunner.

"Well, best of luck to you guys," Fox and Krystal ran back to their vehicle. Fox wasn't expecting the ground zone to be anything like this. He was ready for a hot firefight right of the bat. But the war that raged on this ring was more then that. It was well planned and thought out. This was serious. Fox thought that it would be a few days of shooting his guns, cleaning up the enemy, and going home.

"Let's get to that base," said Slippy.

"Keep your eye out. We got friendly's in the area," Fox led the two Warthogs in the direction of the base. The LRVs flew through the air as they hit ramps. They had been very well balanced.

When they came closer to the base Fox noticed tire marks, so he fallowed them up a hill. At the top was a huge structure, bigger then even the Great Fox. Fox let up on the throttle, slowing the Warthog to a more reasonable speed. There were landing pads with troops at work moving boxes of ammunition. Almost every one had guns. Fox assumed that the others would have a sidearm at the very least. Fox parked the LRV well out of the way of troop movement and jumped out.

Krystal soon fallowed him, "I've never seen such organization."

"Hey pal," Falco walked up to a scraggly poodle with a PDA, "Where can we find the leader of this here establishment?"

"You must mean Commander Keeding," the poodle pointed his paw to a large door into the structure, "Just in there, up the ramp, and to the left on the top floor. Remember don't solute, we're in a combat zone."

"Thanks man," Falco moved out of the way of the door as two dogs carried a large machinegun out.

Fox stepped in front and led the team up the ramp. The structure was amazingly big. Rooms and barracks dotted out from the halls. This was good. It suggested that many of the forces had survived to fight. The vulpine didn't know what to expect yet, he himself had not yet fought to Covenant. They passed the Medical Room. Fox looked into it as he passed. The room was full of soldiers on cots, he could here people talking.

"Hold on."

"Sit tight you're gonna be fine."

"Don't move."

A voice howled on pain. Krystal could feel the hurt of the voice but she kept moving, "Looks like they still have some men left."

"Yeah. That's good," said Slippy. Soldiers walked down the hall and gave them weird looks. Fox and his team were dressed differently from the rest of them so they stuck out.

"What are you looking at?" the bird said arrogantly.

"Leave it be Falco," said Fox. The team stepped up to a door with two armed guards protecting it, "Team Starfox, we're here to see Commander Keeding."

"Ya right what would you guys be doing here?" said one of the bulldogs, "How do we know that this isn't a trick?"

"You really think we have the time for that?" said the falcon.

"Just let them through," said the other guard. He opened the door for them.

"Thank you," Fox said as the door shut behind them. The room was like an office. An older hound dog sat at the desk in the center. It reminded Fox of General Pepper, "Sir, team Starfox reporting for duty."

"Team Starfox?" the hound dropped his papers.

"That's right, we're here to help," Fox continued.

"Well uhh, yes. Very good. We could use all the help we can get. Please take a seat," the team each sat in a chair.

"General Peppy Hare sent us here to help take control of Halo. From what I understand Halo is a weapon that the Covenant is trying to take control of," Fox spoke logically. He wanted to get his fact straight about both about the ring and the Covenant.

"Yes. We have taken control of this base. It has a high vantage point to hold off their forces. We have not yet been attacked, but we are 100 percent ready for it at all times. After the Ripper first crash landed, we were spread out all over the ring. We managed to regroup but the Covenant still has a ship circling the planet and Halo."

"How many troops are left?" Fox asked the hound.

"There are currently 498 men alive counting the crew members of the Ripper."

"The Ripper?" Slippy asked.

The hound answered with great clarity, "The Ripper was my ship. We were shot down by the Covenant Flagship orbiting the ring. Most of our crew survived, some were gunned down by Covenant ground forces but the great majority of us did survive. We have salvaged the Ripper and have plenty on ammunition and vehicles. 12 Scorpions and 30 Warthogs. Plus we have recovered 2 Covenant battle tanks, 5 small hovercraft and 4 of there flyers. Not to mention some of their weapons."

"That's good to hear," Fox said.

"Yes, despite being out numbered we have put up quite a fight. And now that you're here we know we can succeed."

Fox put his paw behind his head, "Well, were only four people but we'll help out all we can. Back on our ship we have two more Warthogs and two more of the tanks."

"What? Where is the Great Fox? And for that matter how did you get here in the first place?" the hound stood up.

"Relax it's well out of reach of the Covenant Flagship. We used the teleporter for transmitting vehicles to send ourselves to Halo," said Slippy.

The hound took his seat once again, "If anyone can save us it's you guys."

"What are we supposed to do? None of us have ever fought the Covenant before. Where do you want us to go?" Fox asked.

"We will assign you to a mission tomorrow," said the hound.

"Not so fast," said Fox, "How are we to take control of Halo? I'm after the grand prize."

"We have no answer to that yet captain. All we can do now is try to eliminate Covenant ground forces until we find a control center of some kind for the ring. If you are interested in helping out we are launching an attack to regain a base early tomorrow morning. It was called Alpha Post. It had a very strategically position. Our forces had been overrun and had to fall back. But we need to take control of it once more. We plan to go in before dawn and take control of the base before sun rise," the Commander reported.

"I have a few more questions about Halo," asked the toad, "How does the ring support gravity and an atmosphere?"

"Our scientists have proposed that rotation of the ring replicates gravity and supports nitrogen, oxygen mixed atmosphere. It is nearly the exact same as on Corneria," Keeding announced.

"Ok were interested in this mission. Who are we going in with?" Fox asked.

"At 0300 hours you will be departing this base with fire team Zulu. Once they are back tonight I'll have the Sergeant Kaplan come and talk to you."

"Kaplan!" Falco cracked.

"Yes," Commander Keeding said, "Do you know him?"

Falco leaned back into his seat, "We've met."

"This won't be a problem will it?" Keeding turned to Fox.

"No, no problem. Don't mind Falco he's just…"

"I'm just what Fox?"

"Arrogant, uhh cocky, rude, intimidating, a little impatient…" Fox got cut off by the avian.

"Yeah ok enough Fox I get it. I'm not so good with first impressions."

"We'll then. I see you already have weapons," noted the dog.

"That's right and two of our own Warthogs outside. They're the over loaded ones," Slippy said.

"I'll ensure that they don't get taken. Your barracks are down the hall last room on the right. You lucked out. We don't need that room for anything and you are free to take it and do as you wish. Dismissed," the commander shooed them out of his office.

The team walked straight down the hall and to the last room. It was a green metallic room. It was plain and average with a flood light set up in the center of it. There were 4 cots. Each cot had a fire blanket draped over it. No other doors, no windows, no nothing. Just the cots, "Settle in guys. This is home for a while. We'll head back to the Warthogs and store extra weapons and ammo here."

"So we're getting up at 3 tomorrow?" said the bird

"No Falco we're leaving at 3. We're getting up at 2 so let's get as much rest as we can," Fox lead the team back to the Warthogs.

When they got outside they saw something they had never seen before. 5 men held their MA5B automatic rifles to the body of something that was over 3 meters tall. The alien was tied as the wrists with steel wire. Purple armor covered most of its body. The alien walked with large steps and had a hunched back. It growled as soldiers pulled it along with ropes. They wanted to keep a firm hold on it. It was almost as big as two soldiers combine and if it was to suddenly strike the guards would open a hell fire of rounds into it.

"Whoa…" the avian stared at it wide eyed.

"An Elite," Slippy said in awe.

"Take him to the cell," the wolf pointed ahead. He looked over and saw Fox. Kaplan shot a quick nod at him. Fox returned with the same motion.

"Take a good look," Fox insisted, "That's what we're up against."

"At least that's the biggest of them. They only get smaller from there on in," Falco grabbed 2 extra Battle Rifles out of the LRV. The team marched back to their barracks with 2 extra MA5B rifles and 2 extra BR55 rifles not to mention several boxes of extra ammo.

Fox fiddled with his SA2 rifle as he sat on his cot. His was the one closest to the door. The rifle's scope was like a TV screen. It's didn't matter how far your eye was away, you could still tell every detail. The other end of the scope looked more like a camera then a lens, "Krystal? You haven't said anything in a while. Are you ok?"

"Hmm?" the blue vixen put down her shotgun, "Oh, I'm fine. I'm just quiet I guess," Krystal wasn't scared and nothing was wrong. The truth was she was just being quiet.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Thank you for asking Fox."

"No problem. I have to make sure that every body is up to snuff for this one," said Fox.

Krystal knew it was more then that though. She read his mind, "You don't have to be worried about me Fox."

"Oh, uhh no! I'm not,"

"Yes you are. And I appreciate it."

"Well sure. You're welcome, err… I think."

Krystal giggled. Fox still wasn't completely comfortable talking to her and she knew it, "Don't worry Fox. I'll keep you safe."

"What?" Fox asked in question.

"Are you worried about the mission tomorrow?" Krystal asked him.

"No," Fox lied.

Krystal read his mind again, "Yes you are."

"No I'm not!" Fox denied.

"Did it scare you to see that Elite?" Krystal continued to ask him questions.

"No, I'm kinda happy that I did. I know what I'm up against now"

"So you feel better about the mission?"

"No not exactly. What's up with all the questions?"

"Oh umm nothing," Krystal shook her head and stopped asking the fox questions. The answer was that she had missed playing with the mind of Fox while she was away. She had tried it with Panther but she didn't get the same result as with Fox. She had missed him.

"Come on you can tell me," said Fox.

"Well if you really must know," Krystal hesitated, "I missed you Fox."

Fox didn't know what to say. He was flattered but not guilty. He thought about what to say in return, when he was saved by Kaplan.

"Fox McCloud," the wolf stepped into the room, "You'll be joining us tomorrow morning?"

"That's right," Fox put down the SA2 and rose from his cot.

"All right then, you're gonna wanna check this out," Sergeant Kaplan tossed an orb-like object onto the floor. It bounced for a moment and came to a dead stop in the center of the room. It opened from the inside out and a light shone out of the center of it. The light produced a holographic map of the command post that he was in and a large area around of it.

"A map," Fox pointed out.

"Yeah. This is the command post," the wolf pointed his paw to their location, "This is where we are headed tomorrow," he moved his paw to a different point of the map, "This is Alpha Post. We need to regain control of it. It can widely expand our perimeter."

"Transport?" Fox asked.

"Warthogs and 5 Scorpion tanks," answered the sergeant.

"We're really going into this gung-ho eh?" said Falco.

"Alpha Base looks down over the Battlefield, just like this one except better. If we can get Alpha Base back then we have a good chance of taking control of this planet, ring, Halo, whatever," Kaplan answered again.

"We finally get to see those tanks fight Fox," laughed Falco.

"Yeah, and believe me," the wolf smirked, "You will not be disappointed. I'd assume that you are bringing in your own Warthogs."

"That's right," Fox said, "How many are going in?"

"Counting you, your team and me, and my team with the vehicles 50."

"50?" the number surprised Slippy.

"We need to regain that post. No fooling around tomorrow. We'll be taking this route, along the western canyon. It takes longer but it's safer for the tanks. We're gonna need them. The plan is to get some Warthog in there to stir up the hornet's nest and once that they do so the M8s will come out of position and open up. They'll be focusing their fire on enemy vehicles so the smaller ground troops are left up to the LRVs. Alpha base is more of a position then a shelter. There is a bunker there but most of it is open except for sandbags, unless the Covenant removed them. Which is more then likely. I remember when I was there and they launched a full out attack on our position. We'll do the same except hit 'em harder, faster and cleaner. Once we take control of Alpha Post. We'll setup a powerful defense. Nothing will get through us, not again."

"So we had control of this base once?" asked the bird.

"It was my fault. I was leading the defense team. But we were getting picked off one by one. There was overwhelming forces on the other end of our guns and despite orders, I gave the fall back. We would have been crushed and I thought it was better to live and fight another day then to die in a futile attempt to save a base," Kaplan muttered, "The lives of my men are more important to me then a base."

Fox thought to himself. Though the man had disobeyed orders, he was wise and had morals. He wasn't the average by the book soldier and Fox admired that, "I don't know if you have the answer to this question Sergeant but what are we doing to take control of Halo?"

"You're right, I don't know. I guess we're just trying to clean up the Covenant. But if this ring is a weapon, there has to be a solution to using it like a control center or something. We have reconnaissance troops scaling the planet but so far they have came up with nothing. The translators have been monitoring Covenant chatter and it appears that they don't know where to find it either. So we're not behind, all we have to do is find out how to control this thing before they do. If we do maybe we can get them to back down."

"Not likely," said Slippy.

"I don't know," thought Falco, "If we have a weapon of such strength even they might back down."

The Sergeant picked the orb up from off the floor. It collapsed is his paw. He headed for the door, "Get some rest. I'll come and wake you when the time comes to leave."

"Oh and Sergeant?" Fox stopped him.

"Yes sir?"

"How'd the ambush go?"

Kaplan spun around and grinned, "It went good for once. We even got a Ghost out of the deal. To tell you the truth I didn't really expect him to give up. Especially an Elite. No one got shot and no one died. For once things went according to plan," the wolf walked out of team Starfox's room.

Fox sat back down on his cot and realized Krystal was there too. He jumped and Krystal giggled at him, "Sorry. Did I scare you?"

Fox was jumpy and he didn't know why either, "No, I don't get scared. You surprised me."

"I seemed to recall that you had been scared back on the Great Fox."

Fox thought back to it and yes, he had admitted he was afraid. But he tried to preserve his pride, "I was nervous. That's all."

"Of course Fox," she said.

"We should get some rest. We're in for a quiet a ride tomorrow," Fox didn't mean to imply for Krystal to get off his cot but it sounded that way. Fox dimmed to flood light that had been hooked up to each of the rooms. He lay down in the cot still alert and ready.


	4. Never Make a Promise You Can't Keep

Ch. 4 Never Make a Promise you can't keep

2330 Hours, September 23, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Home Base, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

Fox ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He didn't even feel like he was touching the ground. The Battle Rifle in his paws was aimed forward. He pulled the trigger and it fired. The bullets tore through the air. The target dropped. Fox tripped to the ground. The Battle Rifle flew from his paws and landed 4 meters away.

The vulpine spun around on the ground. Above him was a large creature in Black armor. It raised a blue weapon to the vulpine's head and fired.

X

"Whao!" Fox awoke from his cot in a cold sweat. It was all a dream, but he continued to breathe heavily, until he convinced himself that it was all a just his imagination.

He sat up in the cot. It felt awkward to be the only one awake in the room. Every now and then his ears would twitch as footsteps went down the hall way and into the distance of the huge base. Fox got up as quietly as he could. His boots tapped the floor and grabbed his Battle Rifle. It was a combat zone. It was better to safe then sorry, or dead. He snatched 5 additional magazines and slipped them into his belt. The vulpine tiptoed out of the room.

Fox walked down the hallways and out of the base. There were about the same amount of troops that had been there in the daytime. Some of which were taking shifts with a partner. One slept and the other manned the gun or just kept watch. The area was illuminated. Flood lights poured blinding light 360 degrees onto the field and rocks below. Warthogs came and left the base, finishing and starting new patrols.

The vulpine cradled the rifle closer to his chest. The ammo indicator read a crisp and full 36 rounds. Guns had always made Fox feel safe. Even though deep down, Fox was well aware that they sometimes just gave the illusion of safety. But it was better to be looking at it then looking for it.

He tightened his paws around the pistol grip of the BR55. Fox wanted to walk a complete circle around the base and analyze it for what it was. He started to walk, when he was stopped, "Fox?"

The vulpine spun around, "Krystal? What are you doing up?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," the vixen held her weapon of choice, the powerful M90 8 gauge shotgun.

"Sorry. I must have woken you."

"No I was already up," the truth was the Krystal was awake. She had problems sleeping too. She thought she may have fallen asleep at one time but she wasn't sure. Krystal had been watching over Fox's mind and she knew that he had been having bad dreams. That and she heard him yell.

"I was just…"

"You couldn't sleep. I've known that," Krystal finished his thought.

"Yeah I guess that's it," Fox grinned.

"It's good to see you smile again Fox."

"I… sure."

"Are you alright?"

The vulpine put his paw on the back of his neck, "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were having nightmares. About being shot?"

"I guess I just have a bad feeling. Don't worry about. I'm sure it's probably nothing."

"But I heard you scream."

"It was nothing, really."

"Well like you said for me. If you need anyone to talk to, I'll be around too."

"I was just going for a walk," Fox eased into the question, "If you'd like to join me you could, if you'd like to."

"I'd love to," Krystal stepped over to Fox and the pair began an external circle of the base.

Fox looked at him communicator, "We have to wake up in 3 hours."

"I know that. Are you nervous about the mission?"

"You keep asking me that and I keep saying no."

"But you are, aren't you?"

"No," Fox answered again.

"No. You're not. Are you more worried about me?"

"No. I know now that you can handle yourself."

"You're worried about the others?"

"Why do you keep asking me so many questions? I don't have all the answers Krystal. I can't tell you what will happen tomorrow and I can't tell you if I will survive or if any of us survive. That's why I wanted you to go on with out me. You know, if I do somehow fall behind. So why with all the questions?"

"Like I said Fox. I missed you," Krystal said with affinity.

Fox was trapped again, "Well I… I missed you too."

"You must've, because you came back for me."

"Yeah. I guess I did."

"Yes Fox and I appreciate it."

"Well it was nothing really. It was my fault in the first place and I just wanted to right my wrongs."

"I know that. And am very grateful. I was upset with you at first. But then I found out how bad you felt about it. I couldn't just leave you like that way."

"I still can't believe you forgave me," Fox sighed. He was still mad at himself for the mistake.

"We all make mistakes sometimes and sometimes we just need to forgive and forget. You saved my life more then once and I had to return the favor to you."

"I guess I'm just not used to making such a great mistake."

"You've learned your lesson Fox."

"Believe me, I have," Fox nodded.

"That Panther was too weird for me anyways."

"Err… of course."

"But you've taught me so much. About piloting, and shooting and being there when I needed you the most."

"Well that's… err,"

"You taught me how to accept the past and to let things go. And most importantly you taught me to love again."

"Well that's... uhh… a given and err… for granted."

"No it's not. It take's someone with a pure heart to do something like that. And of course you had to be pure of heart. You did enter the Krazoa Shrines and saved me."

"That was no big deal really. I needed the money and you were just kinda… a bonus objective," Fox tried to remain modest.

"Fox I often thought what it would have been like if the tables were turned. If it were you in that crystal on top of the palace, I wondered if I would save you. And I've decided I would have."

"Well thanks, I guess."

"Don't ever change Fox."

"It's good to know that even though I put you through all of that you still forgive and respect me."

"Would you have done the same for me?" Krystal asked Fox.

"Yes. Yes I would have."

"That's why I did it then."

"Well that's great and all be we aren't out of this yet. We're just getting started. And with you beside me, I know I will succeed."

"And I will be."

"Well like I had said back on the Great Fox. I appreciate that you could trust me enough to come back for the team."

"I didn't do it for the team. I did it for you," Krystal pecked him on the muzzle with a short, sweet kiss.

Fox turned red immediately. He wasn't expecting that, "Well… thanks."

"And I won't ever be able to let you go because I…" Krystal took a deep breath. She was finally ready to say what she felt, "because I lo…"

"Everyone to your posts," it was Commander Keeding he spoke over the intercom of the base, "Covenant forces are inbound from the east. This is not a drill everyone man your stations."

Fox looked wide-eyed at Krystal. His worst dream had come true, "Fallow me," Fox took a post with Krystal beside sandbags. In another few seconds, troops gathered around the two. They all crouched behind the cover of the bags and peeked their rifles and other weapons over the top. They softly chattered among themselves.

"I don't see anything."

"Where are they?"

"Do you guys see anything?"

"I don't see nothing."

All of a sudden the base's auxiliary floodlights light up. The vision of the troop's was expanded for over 200 meters. At the very distance there was the sight of blue-ish purple vehicles. The hover craft's wings lit up and they sped in for the kill. Everyone opened their fire. Hundreds of bullets filled the air. Several of the approaching craft were simply shredded to bits. Others got closer but then exploded. In the air were pairs of blue lights. Rockets rushed toward them some tried to dodge the 102mm rounds but failed. Screaming fuselages fell through the air and landed flat on the ground.

Fox peeked up from under his cover. The Battle Rifle chattered in a burst. Fox put the cross hair on the target of a short, stubby target. The rifle chattered and the grunt dropped. Plasma fire erupted from the other side of the darkness. Many of the shots were well out of range but some found their marks on the sandbags. Then the plasma fire stopped, and the rifle fire stopped. It was completely quiet.

"Was that it?"

"That was nothing!"

"Wait, what's that?" Fox said. He peeked down the scope of the rifle. It was a glowing blue-white dual beam. It went up and down, and it moved like a ghost. Fox could see a blur of air around behind. He reloaded his rifle. Though everything was silent he fired twice. An Elites body appeared from nowhere. Its shield discharge and it dropped, "They're cloaked!"

As soon as Fox finished, a fire from hell randomly riddled the battlefield below. If a stray bullet hit an enemy, the cloaking would overheat, giving the enemy away. Some jumped and rolled to avoid fire but it was truly futile. There was too much firepower at the top of the hill. They hit the ground. Many of the enemies had been grunts but there was the odd Elite in the mess. The last shot was fired and final Grunt flipped to the dirt. The field was covered in a purple blood.

"Look out!" Fox spun around as he heard some one yell it. All of a sudden he was plucked from the ground by an imaginary force. He saw a blade of light appear from nowhere. He was being held by the neck, Fox struggled to break free but the attempt was futile.

"Take him guys," Fox choked. In another second he blacked out.

"Hold you fire!"

"Don't hit 'em!"

Krystal couldn't get a clear shot. She moved around the Elite trying to get a clean shot. Other soldiers moved around too but the Elite was so much faster then them. The alien held the blade to the fox's neck and slowly backed off. The flood lights flickered once and gave out. The Elite put away his glowing blade and disappeared into the night. When the lights came back on there was nothing in site no Elite, and no Fox. The area was clean and there were no targets in sight.

She dropped the shotgun. It clanked to the ground and Krystal had known that she had let him down. She has broken a promise.


	5. The Last McCloud

Ch. 5 The Last McCLoud

0210 Hours, September 24, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Home Base, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"Krystal it's not your fault," said the wolf. But Krystal just ignored him. Deep inside she knew it was her fault. They promised to keep each other safe and she couldn't hold up her end of the deal. She had let Fox down.

"We are losing troops everyday," General Keeding spoke to team Starfox, "Though this lose is tragic we have to keep on moving along. We have to take Alpha Post and take control of this ring. Captain Fox McCloud will be missed but we can't just stop. The entire fate of the universe lies in our hands. Billions are depending on us. Sergeant Kaplan?"

"Sir!"

"The mission has been rescheduled to 1100 hours tomorrow morning. I have a feeling the Covenant won't be expecting an attack so early. Get some rest you'll be needing it. Dismissed," team Starfox left General Keeding's office.

"Krystal you ok?" Falco asked. She didn't answer. The vixen was ashamed of herself. She looked at the floor as they walked.

Slippy whimpered, "Poor Fox."

"Yeah well. You know. It had to happen sometime. And we gotta finish this one. For McCloud," Falco remained strong.

Krystal couldn't sleep that night. She stared into the darkness of the ceiling. The vixen started to fear for her own life. Fox was a protector, a mercenary and well combat experienced. And they had got him. She couldn't find his mind with her telekinetic abilities. This meant he was dead. She thought to herself, "You really did it this time. You broke a promise. Now's who's going to watch your back? What's stopping the Covenant from taking you too? That's what you get Krystal. He told you he had a bad feeling and he was afraid. Were you not listening to him?"

She just made herself feel worse. Tears began to burn her eyes and she continued to think to herself, "Krystal you have to go on and complete this mission. It's what Fox would have wanted. He wouldn't have wanted you to be this way. But worse of all Krystal, you didn't even get to tell him that you love him."

* * *

X 

X

Unknown Date, Unknown Location

**X**

Fox's vision faded in and out.

His own boots… blackness.

A 3 fingered hand… blackness.

A blue glowing weapon… blackness.

Flying through the air backwards… blackness.

Fox awoke. He found himself in a tinted room. A glowing blue wall separated him from the outside world. He was lying down with his neck at very uncomfortable angle.

The vulpine managed to pull the strength together to stand. In another corner of the cell was a raccoon. Fox slid over to him but he was long dead. Red, dried blood marked his fur. Fox searched himself for weapons. But they had all been removed, even his sidearm. He sat down with his back to the far back wall of the cell. Outside the blue walls was daylight. That was the odd thing about the situation there were no Covenant anywhere.

"Where am I?" Fox said to himself.

Then the world exploded. Fire and shrapnel erupted from outside the protective florescent blue barrier. Covenant ran around in a mad scramble. Grunts panicked and ran. Fox saw tracers pierce through the air and the familiar thundering of MA5B assault rifles.

The blue shield fluttered for a moment and went out. An alien stood outside the cell, he raised a blue weapon to Fox. The vulpine's hair stood on end. The weapon flashed. A blue ball of superheated plasma hit Fox in the chest. He didn't scream though. Fox took the pain. He put his paw on his chest to cover the wound and went into a state of shock. Though he as alive, he didn't move and he didn't blink.

* * *

X 

X

1123 Hours, September 24, 2554 (Corneria Military Calendar) / Near Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

Krystal was in a furry of rage with the Covenant. She hadn't said a word to anyone since she had lost Fox. She was madder at herself then anyone else. She depleted the clip of the BR55 and shoved a new one in with unnecessary force. She lined up targets and dropped them one by one. She had tried to find Fox's mind to see if he was still alive but it was nowhere. She had failed him.

"Take it easy there," said Falco.

Krystal just growled back at him with out saying anything in return.

"So the kid got killed. He had to die sometime," Falco felt sorrow for his lost friend. But it was bound to happen at some point. He had already accepted him as dead.

Fire Team Zulu advanced on the Alpha Post. The Scorpion tanks thundered as they took out the last of the Wraiths. The team moved into the base and cleaned up the last of the Covenant that lie there. Alpha Post was covered with dead bodies. The attack had been fairly successful. Fire Team Zulu had taken minimal casualties. Lives well spent. The Battle Tank backup was all that they needed.

The vixen ran into every single room of the small base first. She killed whatever moved no matter what it was. If it didn't look like one of her troops she shot. On the outside of the base was an open chamber. An Elite jumped out and growled. Krystal put the shotgun to the center of mass and fired. The body of the Elite was nearly cut in half as the 8 gauge slug tore through it.

"Krys… tal?" A voice said wearily and weakly.

"What!" the vixen hissed.

"Is… is… that you…?"

Krystal spun around on her heals. At the back of the chamber were two bodies. One of which was a familiar vulpine, "Fox!!!"

"Yeah… that's me," Fox's voice crackled.

Krystal bolted over to him, "Fox! I thought you were dead! I though I lost you!"

Fox didn't open his eyes, "No, you… you did well. You did all you could."

A wolverine that was watching the mess peeked around the corner to see Krystal talking to Fox, "Hey! We need a medic! Over here! Right now!"

Fox coughed up blood, "I'm sorry… pant I don't know… I don't know if I'll…"

"No Fox!!! You'll survive! Just hold on! You're stronger then that!"

"It hurts. I can't quite…"

"Don't think that way! You have to survive! For me?"

Fox chocked on his own breath. Small seeps on blood came out of his nostrils, "I… don't know if I can… do that for you… it… it hurts. Bad."

Krystal wiped up some of his blood, "Fox…"

Two medics ran into the room, "Step aside please," they moved Krystal out of the way. They started to work their paws over his body.

"How bad is it?" Fox asked them.

"Just hold tight Sir. You're going to be fine," Fox knew this was probably a lie. A part of a medic's job was to just make someone feel better as they died.

"Just a flesh wound. No problem," said the other dog.

"Thanks guys," said Fox.

"Try not to move Sir," a dog pulled a tissue out of the medical kit and lapped up some of his blood.

"Hold on, this will make you feel better," the other medic injected him with a painkiller.

"Is it bad?" he was disoriented and couldn't remember if he had already asked that question.

"Sir, how many fingers am I holding up?"

Fox tried to focus on the medic's paw. He couldn't though, so he just guessed, "4?"

By some lucky guess Fox got it right and the medics kept speaking to him, "So you got any family back home?"

"No… I'm the last… survivor of my family. I'm the only one in my whole family," Fox said wearily. It was true too. His mother and father were both killed and he was the only one as a McCloud.

"Oh, sorry to hear that. Any plans for when the war is over?" the medics continued to work on the fox's injured body.

"I don't know yet."

"Where you from Sir?"

"I come from… Cornerian but… cough… I'm from everywhere re…"

The medic held up his paw again, "How many fingers?"

Fox guessed again, "2?"

"He's going into shock," one dog said to the other.

Krystal saw the dog shake him, "Stay with us. Stay with us Sir!"

"What's wrong!?! Is he ok!?!"

"ugh… get her out here!" one of the medics shouted.

A second later, Falco grabbed her paw, "Come on Krystal."

"No! Wait!" she barked.

Falco tightened his grip, "There's nothing we can do for him."

"Agh! Falco! Let go of me!"

"Just let them do what their thing!"

"Falco! Stop!"

"Hey! You think I wanna lose Fox? You think I'm a heartless drone!?!" Falco held Krystal by the soldiers and looked directly at her.

"But I've got to…"

"Got to what?" Falco cut her off. Krystal ran, "Hey! No! Krystal wait!"

The blue fox came back just to hear the words of the lead medic, "Ok, I'm calling it… sigh… it's 1340."

* * *

Authors Note: Ok, we have a "117" being entered in this next chapter to come. 


	6. OneOneSeven

Authors Note: Alright, here you go. Your Master Cheif.

* * *

Ch. 6 One-One-Seven

1123 Hours, September 24, 2455 (UNSC Military Calendar) 1.2 Kilometers down spin of Alpha Post, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"Cortana, assessment," Petty Officer Master Chief, Spartan 117 loaded his MA5C automatic rifle.

"Sound patterns match those of 98mm cannon rounds. Same as the Scorpion M808B battle tanks," said the artificial intelligence with great logic.

"What is it doing here?"

"I don't know. The UNSC Battle Net has no information of any friendly forces on the ring. The Covenant could have possibly commandeered it from one of our ships."

"And the Flood?"

"That could possibly be it too. Wait a moment… no that can't be."

"Why not?"

"The Covenant chatter would have identified it long ago. Plus they are smarter then that. They know about the Flood. That and the fact that it still doesn't explain the fact that there are M808Bs present."

"From Earth?"

"No. That's impossible. When the UNSC called to evacuate and destroy Earth we made sure that not a single Flood infested vessel survived the blast. Every vessel that survived was cleansed. The UNSC even cleansed Pelicans and Warthogs."

"And yet here we are."

"But the Covenant has never been known to enter the Linksis Dawn system."

"Until now."

"It does explain the existence of the Echo Halo. After the Delta Halo was destroyed…" Cortana trailed off.

"Could we stay on topic?"

"Oh. Yes of course. The Covenant has not yet located Halo's control room. Nor have they released the Flood. We have to find the index. That, or the monitor of the installation."

"And the Scorpions?"

"There is another option," the artificial intelligence said, "After the obsolete UNSC Battle Net was shut down to fool the Covenant we had other outside access to the old Battle Net. They were outside forces, not native to the Sol system. UNSC ships avoided them in fear that it was new Covenant technology. But after monitoring their chatter we have learned that they speak the same language as us. Of course as you know the Covenant has fooled us like this before so we thought they were them. But then from a distance we witnessed them fight."

"So what are we up against here?" the Chief wanted to get his facts straight.

"Because we have never made contact with this new race I can't tell you. Through your Mark 7 armor, I've been monitoring a well encrypted channel. I've yet to break the code. It could be Covenant, or it could be something else. If you recall 5 UNSC Battle Ships and 2 Destroyers were salvaged before we could get there after the destruction of Earth. The ships were to close and we didn't have the time to let the Flood escape. It could be a new race. The catch is… they think we're extinct."

"Explain."

"They new that Earth was our home planet. When the UNSC modified our old Battle Network to fool the Covenant, they stated that Earth was destroyed and we were nearly extinct but they don't know the truth about the population of our race," stated the AI, "So are we going in?"

"Where else would we go?" the Spartan begin to walk forward toward the sounds of the cannons.

The UNCS had statically abandoned their old data base to fool the Covenant. Such as to put false data on one channel as they uploaded new and accurate data to their own forces on a separate frequency, and it seemed to be working. Plus just under a year ago Earth was destroyed. This was the choice of the UNSC. The humans destroyed their own planet. This was because of Flood infestation. When the Flood escaped from the Delta Halo, they came straight to Earth. The majority was able to escape and survive but they had taken casualties. Even the Covenant took casualties.

Cortana continued to talk, "We believe that their home system is what they call Lylat. And their home planet, Corneria."

"Corneria?"

"Not listed in our database that's for sure. The odd thing is that they use the exact same calendar and date as we do. Same language. Same ranks. Same tactical context. That is unexplainable. It makes no sense what so ever."

"A 1 in a billion coincidence."

"Calculating…"

"Never mind. Did you contact the Horror Frost?"

"Negative, patching through now," Cortana patched through the comm. network for the Master Chief, "Captain Mitchell this is Cortana."

"We read you Cortana. Have you found the control room?" Captain Mitchell said.

"Negative Captain, the Chief and I are searching for the index," Cortana replied.

"Keep looking. The Horror Frost has found something on radar too. It's not Covenant. We've tried to contact the ship but never got response. We'll patch through the data to the Chief's HUD. Standby."

In a second a view of a ship came of the HUD of the Spartan's armor, "Sir, what are we looking at?" the Chief said in his normal, serious and deep voice.

"We don't know yet. There are borders inbound to the ship. The outside of it says… Starfox?"

"I've heard of Starfox," said the AI.

"Cortana?" asked the Captain.

"Sir. The extent of my knowledge to it is that Starfox is a team of mercenaries and pilots. Very tough and like Special Forces. Extremely elite."

The Spartan cocked his rifle, "Special Forces? Tougher then a Spartan?"

"I can assure you that as along as you are on the ground they will be less then a challenge. But remember these might not be enemies," reported Cortana.

"Cortana is right Master Chief," said Captain Mitchell, "You do not have clearance to kill these targets. Repeat only fire if fired upon. You need to make contact with these forces. The last thing we need is another enemy after us."

"Yes sir," said the Spartan.

"Captain, are the Chief and I to expect backup anytime soon?" asked the AI.

"Not until we can get rid of that Covenant Flag Ship. Once we can, you will have ODST backup immediately."


	7. Armageddon Soul

Ch. 7: Armageddon Soul

1340, September 24, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Home Base, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"Sir!" a young raccoon Lieutenant came to the front of Commander Keeding's desk.

"Good afternoon Lieutenant," said the hound, "I trust you and your team are ready to depart? You do have the coordinates, don't you?"

"Yes Sir! Fire team Alpha is ready to go on your command. The Warthogs are ready and Scorpions are packed and good to go," said the raccoon.

"Good. We need you and your team to find and secure the Covenant Weapons Cache. This base isn't low on food or ammo… yet. As soon as your team gets to position secure the area and use whatever means necessary to take this base. Lieutenant, it's up to you."

The raccoon strolled out of the room, "Yes Sir! We will not let you down!"

* * *

X

X

1341, September 24, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"No…" Krystal couldn't believe it. Was Fox really gone? Krystal thought to herself, "It can't be. Fox didn't die. Fox couldn't die. He had been through so much. Fox is invincible. He doesn't die."

The medics moved out of her way. One ripped a shoulder-flash off the fox's limp body as the other one took out a PDA and started tapping and confirming the death, "Captain Fox J. McCloud, Team Starfox. Time of death 1340. KIA and or POW death. Plasma bolt, center chest," they both looked at the other raccoon that was near Fox, "Corporal Seth M. Whit. Time of death, unknown. POW death…"

Krystal ignored them and kneeled down to the dead fox. She shook his body lightly and spoke softly, "Fox, wake up. Please Fox," but nothing. Fox was gone.

"Krystal, uhh… I'm sorry," said Falco. He put his wing on her shoulder, "These things happen."

Krystal hugged Falco. Tears burned her eyes, "Why did he have to go?"

Falco sighed, "Fox, he's… he's been through a lot. He was just tired. He's in a good place now. He needs to rest."

Slippy couldn't even come in. His eyes were filled with tears and he just walked away.

"Why didn't he say goodbye?" though Krystal had been a Cornerian a long time. Sometimes the sweet Cerinian showed in her.

"He meant to," said Sergeant Kaplan. The wolf stepped into the small dungeon and lightly kicked the vulpine's limp body.

"Don't," Krystal said as if she were a young kit.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," said the wolf, "Anyways guys. Forget about him right now. We have a war to fight. Fire team Alpha is enroute to what seems to be a Covenant Weapons Cache. We are to help to set up a strong defense here and wait until they fall back to our position."

Krystal let go of the avian, "Could I just have a moment alone with him?"

"Of course," said Kaplan.

Krystal waited until everyone was out of the room. Then she kneeled over to the vulpine. Blood covered his chest. Krystal touched the watery blood with the tip of her claw. She closed her eyes. The blue vixen had powers, and she knew it. She remembered back in time. She pictured the face of Fox. When she met his green eyes on top of Krazoa Palace. When he had taught her to shoot, when he had taught her to fly, when he had let her go, when he had come back for her.

Fox's body jumped. He gasped as his lungs filled with atmosphere. His eyes drifted into focus. He blinked to clean them. Fox remember all that had happened. Getting shot, and then dieing. His paws searched his body. When they got over his chest he noticed there was no blood. Not wound, no burns and no evidence what so ever of getting hit by a plasma round or a bullet. He looked over to the blue vixen, "Whoa."

Krystal hugged him. She sniffled and suppressed her tears, "Fox! I knew you'd be back."

Fox wasn't completely there yet, "Yea-ah."

Krystal started to cry into his shoulder, "I'm-I'm so sorry! I didn't do it right! I let you down!"

"You did well. But in the end there was nothing you could do. I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry. I'm sorry!" Krystal began to cry more and she breathed quickly and irregularly.

"Hey," Fox brushed her hair back, "Its ok!"

"I'm so sorry!"

"Shhh… It's fine. Relax and breathe with me. Like this," Fox made his breath deeper and longer. Krystal soon matched his breath. She just held him, tighter and tighter. She wasn't going to let Fox leave again, "Krys," said Fox, "I-I can't breathe."

Krystal loosened her grip, "Oh, sorry," the two foxes just sat there for holding each other.

Falco stepped into the small room. Krystal was the only one that knew Fox was still alive. The avian was still in a state of sorrow, "Hey Krystal come on lets… WHAT?!?"

Krystal helped Fox up and the vulpine smiled, "Hi Falco."

Falco had a total look of confusion on his face, "Wha-I… Huh?" he then glared at the vulpine, "Why you little… come here!"

"Uh oh!" Fox dodged Falco and ran out of the cell. Fox ran alive into the light of the day. He ran alive through the light of day. It felt good to simply feel alive again and oddly enough, it was to most alive he'd ever felt. He was full of energy and confidence.

Falco chased after him, "Get back here!"

Fox kept running, "Bring it," he sped past all the members of Fire team Zulu.

Kaplan saw a red fox run past him. He spoke to his right-hand-man the raccoon rifleman Mitchell Prower, "Was that just…"

Prower finished his thought, "Fox… McCloud? Was… he was dead?!?"

Kaplan watched the vulpine jump and slid over the hood of a Warthog, "Uh… yeah. He was dead,"

Prower pinched his sergeant.

"Hey!" said the wolf, "What was that for?"

"I wanted to see if I was dreaming."

"You know the traditional way of doing that is to pinch yourself you know?"

"Why would I do that? That's no fun!" the raccoon laughed.

"Shut up Prower."

Falco ran after Fox, "Come m'ere Fox!"

Fox and Falco circled the Warthog. They both stopped on opposite sides of the LRV. Fox smiled at Falco, "What's wrong Lombardi? I… OOOFFFF!" Fox was blind sited and brought to the ground.

Krystal struck Fox with great speed and they both rolled to the ground. Fox and Krystal tumbled. The vixen ended up on top of the other vulpine. Krystal closed her eyes and locked her muzzle around the one of Fox McCloud. Fox could feel her tongue searching his own mouth. Krystal pulled away and grinned. Fox smiled back at her, "I guess you really do forgive me."

"Fox, I've wanted to tell you something for quite sometime now. Every time I get a chance, I miss it."

"Oh yeah? And what tha…"

"Krystal," said Falco as he loomed over Fox and the vixen, "Don't ruin my fun," the vixen got off Fox and Falco plucked him from the ground. Falco slapped Fox's head back and forth with his wing tip every time he said a word, "Don't! Ever! Do! That! Again!"

Slippy smiled at the vulpine, "I don't know how you're here. But we need you."

Kaplan strolled over to the team and the Warthog, "Captain?"

"Sergeant?"

"Uhh… how are… did… uhh… you're alive?"

"I don't know. Ask Krystal," said the vulpine.

Krystal grinned at Fox, "It's complicated."

"Umm… Ok whatever, you're alive and that's all that matters. We are to stay here and wait for the Fire Team Alpha to retrieve a Covenant Weapons Cache. So, set up and keep a sharp eye out, Sir," the wolf didn't understand why Fox was back but he just let it go. He started to walk back to his post.

Fox looked at his shoulder-flash. It was missing, "Hey Serg?"

Kaplan spun around, "Sir?" Fox tapped his shoulder. Kaplan thought for a moment and then got the message, "Oh! Here you go."

Fox took back his tag and reattached it to his shoulder pad, "Thanks."


	8. Starting Fresh

Authers Note: Ok I messed up on the shell size of the M808B Scorpion. I may have said earlier in the story that it is a 90mm (near the beggining) then by mistake I changed it to 98mm. It will remain 98mm even though it is not correct to the game or the book. I don't want to confuse people by changing it back to 90mm.

**X**

**X**

* * *

Ch. 8: Starting Fresh 

1430, September 24, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

Fox loaded his SA2 rifle. He was full of new confidence now. He knew what to expect. He questioned himself many times on how he actually managed to doubted his own courage and how he could be so naïve. It was childish really. He knew he was a mercenary and he knew that he was nearly invisible, if he pulled off the right moves at the right time. He knew he could too.

"Sergeant? How long until Fire Team Alpha falls back to our position?" asked Fox.

"Commander Keeding said that they would get here in about an hour or so. Give them so time. They know what they're doing," answered the wolf. Fox and Kaplan were the highest ranking soldiers at Alpha Post and though Fox was a Captain, Sergeant Kaplan was in charge of this operation. Technically Fox didn't have to listen to him or obey him, but he still respected him, "And I've been meaning to ask you something Sir."

"What may that be Sergeant?"

"How are you here? I mean, you're not dead. You're supposed to be dead. How did you come back? Your vitals were zero. There was no such thing as bringing you back. No offense, but you're not supposed to be here."

"It's Krystal. I don't know how she does it. She has powers I guess," Fox noticed Krystal looking at them. She was well out of hearing distance though.

"I see."

Fox motioned his head toward Krystal, "Look, she knows that we are talking about her."

The wolf glanced at her just fast enough so maybe she wouldn't notice, "Huh."

"She knows her way around weapons and is quite skilled."

"And what about you? I wouldn't have expected a Captain and even one such as Fox McCloud to have been captured and killed… kind of."

"I don't know what happened either. That was completely unlike of me to get captured like that. It was just disgusting. Very sloppy," said the vulpine.

"Well, were not done here. So you're going to have to pull yourself together. We need your skills and firepower. You ok?"

Fox looked himself over, "I'm fine. Not even a scratch on me."

"That's screwed up."

"Yeah kinda, but..."

"Fox?" Krystal put her paw on Fox's shoulder, "Can I talk to you? Alone?"

The vulpine looked at the wolf, "Sorry I gotta go."

Kaplan nodded, "Your call Sir."

Fox got up from the cover that he and the Sergeant were behind. He walked with Krystal, "What's up?"

"It's good to see that you're not so jumpy any more."

"Aw, I know what I'm up against. And thanks for… whatever it was that you did."

Krystal giggled, "You would have done the same for me."

"If I could."

"And anyway I wanted to apologize for something."

"Apologize? For what?"

"I'm sorry for kissing you like that. I shouldn't have."

Fox's face changed into a crooked smile, "That's fine."

"I keep forgetting to tell you this and it seems I never get the chance. But now, it seems so silly."

"And what may that be?"

"Well…" Krystal hesitated. She didn't know if it was the appropriate time to say it. If he didn't accept it, then that might change the relationship between them. Maybe he just wanted her to come back to the team. Maybe he didn't love her. But he had accepted the kiss.

"Krys?" Fox tapped her on head. She was completely zoned out, "Light's are on, but no one's home."

"Oh, umm… what I've been meaning to tell you is… umm that umm… that I…" Krystal swallowed her pride, "I love you Fox."

Fox didn't know how to react. Just the other day she had forgiven him, but then again just the other day they were back at Corneria, "Heh."

Krystal was disappointed with herself, "See I told you it was silly. Just forget it," she looked at the ground.

"No! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I-I love you too."

"Really?!? Um, I mean. Really?"

"Of course I do," Fox kissed Krystal on the cheek. He wasn't sure if it was the right move but he had to do something.

Krystal blushed, and I wasn't very often that she did. Yes, it was true, she did love fox and she still does. Ever after all he had put her through, she knew that he was just trying to protect her, "Thank you."

"Hey love birds!" said Falco, "Can this wait? Save it for the honeymoon!"

Fox looked at Falco wide-eyed, "What!?! We aren't… we're not… Not yet!"

"Not yet?" Falco smiled at Fox.

Foxes eyes were wide open. That was the second time he had walked into that trap, "Uhh! Uhh! It's… uhh!"

Krystal giggled, "Well Fo…" An explosion cut her off. At the bottom of the valley, once again, was the Covenant. They always seemed to interrupt things at the worst of times. Everyone took a firing position to what suited their weapons.

Kaplan shouted to the Fire Team, "Hold Fire! Wait until they get into range!"

Everyone watched the Covenant advance. Two Wraith tanks and half dozen Ghosts hovered up the hill. Everyone was anxious to fire. Kaplan kept getting impatient looks but his command stood, "Hold fire. Hold fire."

One of the Wraiths at the bottom exploded in a fiery blaze of blue and yellow flame. The other one went up just a second behind it. Kaplan looked around in disgust, "Damn it! Who fired?!?"

Everyone looked around. No one had fired. One of the Ghosts spun around to face the other direction. It was torn apart by automatic fire. One of the other Ghosts flipped around. The pilot was booted out of it and gunned down by an invisible force.

Fox leveled the Sniper Rifle, breathed in, and fired the SA2. The 14.5mm round sliced the air. It stuck an Elite pilot right in the face. The Ghost plowed into the ground and to a stop.

"Nice shot Fox," Krystal complimented.

"Thanks," said Fox.

The remaining Ghosts thrust forward. They were instantly destroyed by the Gauss Cannons and the savage 98mm canon rounds. They didn't have a chance. They didn't even get to fire a shot.

"What was that shooting Serge?" asked Prower.

"Hell if I know. Maybe a Cornerian straggler?"

Fox lifted his SA2 Rifle. He peered down the scope. At the very end of his sight was a biped of some kind. It wore clunky but yet elegant armor, "I see something. It doesn't look Covenant."

"Do we really need to take that chance?" asked Kaplan. Technically Fox should have been in charge of the mission but he was ordered head of Fire Team Zulu.

"Do we shoot?" asked a wolverine.

"Wait a second," said Fox.

"Captain," the wolf said impatiently.

"Sergeant," Fox snapped, "It doesn't look Covenant. I would highly advise that neither you, nor your team fire," Fox spoke in an aggressive voice.

Krystal smiled. Fox was back. He was back to his usual order giving and half aggressive, but yet still sensitively sweet vulpine that had made her fall in love with him in the first place. She wasn't about to let that slip away from her again.

"Yes Sir. Sorry Sir," said Sergeant Kaplan, "Ok everyone. Weapons ready. Don't fire unless I give the order."


	9. The Marines

Authers Note: Hey, look. Really sorry for not updating this for a while. Just got back into school and got a little bogged down. Anyways, I'll try and make the next ones faster.

**X**

* * *

Ch. 9: The Marines

1400, September 24, 2554 (UNSC Military Calendar) / Distant Orbit, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"Ok Marines, as soon as that hatch opens I want a quick, tight dispersal. Can't tell you what to expect, don't fire unless fired upon. We're in for it, and if we screw this one up we're done."

"But no pressure," Corporal Peters joked.

Three UNSC Pelicans neared to what the best of their knowledge was, was a large space craft. Four Longsward fighters also assisted them. The ship they were approaching wan't even close in size to the large UNSC Horror Frost that they had come from but, this ship could possibly pose a threat to them. They didn't even know whose it was. Captain Mitchell had said that it probably was not Covenant, and it defiantly wasn't UNSC. So what options did that leave? Either it was Covenant or it was a new race. The last thing the UNSC needed was to be fighting two battlefronts.

"We don't get paid enough for this," said a Marine.

"Private," said the Sergeant, "We don't get paid at all. You just be grateful that you get the honor to encounter a new race."

Another Marine spoke out, "Yeah, and look were it got us last time."

"Stow it," said the Sergeant Ryle.

"We're one hundred kilometers out. Going into quiet-mode, we'll be drifting," reported the copilot.

"As long as we get there," said Sergeant Ryle.

Each of the three pelicans was loaded up with about a half dozen troops. Their plan was to outnumber the enemy, hope for surrender and then work on a coalition between them. If they weren't Covenant or if they didn't fight like them it would be easy. The UNSC Marines had quite the reputation. Not near as much as the elite ODST or the legendary Spartans but they could still get the job done.

As the ship's engines cut, the Sergeant stood up and walked through the door way to the cockpit. He looked out the viewport, "Don't look like any Covenant ship I've ever seen."

The Sergeant spoke into his radio to all channels, "Hellcat, you and us are going in first. Zephyr, you're going to keep the Pelicans safe."

"Yes Sir, Sergeant!" said one of the Pelican's.

"Acknowledged," reported the other.

"Thirty seconds out," said the pilot, "Standby for decompression."

"You heard him Marines! Check your gear, make sure your helmets are on there good," the Sergeant retreated to the rear of the ship. The hatch separating the cockpit and troop bay, slowly slid shut. The hiss of oxygen leaving the troop bay started. In another few seconds the pilot reported in, "Decompression complete."

The Pelican's engines flared to life for a spilt second, "Serge, the aft of the ship seems to have a docking bay of some kind. Orders?"

"Hit it. Bring us in as close as you can. Arm the machineguns. Let 'em know we're coming."

"You got it," the ship maneuvered and spun. In another moment it came to a rest on the deck of the ship. The rear hatch of the Pelican opened.

"Go, go, go," ordered the Sergeant.

"Roger, taking point."

The troops piled out and to their greatest surprise, the ship held them securely to the deck, "Artificial gravity and everything," said a Marine.

"Wait," said another. He looked at a pad in his hand, "Detecting atmosphere, regular oxygen and nitrogen rich environment."

The Sergeant looked around. They had just landed in the docking bay and everyone could clearly see that there was the deadly vacuum of space within walking distance. There was nothing separating them from the vacuum, "That's impossible," Ryle shook his head, "Check the vapor frequency on that thing."

Another man reported, "Sir, I have the same thing."

"Anyone wanna hero?" asked the Sergeant Ryle.

Everyone was quite until Peters spoke up, "I'll do it," he reached under his helmet and unbuckled each lock. He took off his helmet and looked around at all the other Marines. There was an atmosphere. Each Marine placed his or her weapon on the deck and unbuckled their helmets.

The Sergeant was the last to do it. He unlocked his helmet and turned to the invisible wall that separated them vacuum from the air, "That's amazing."

"Yeah," said another Marine.

"Ok people we got a job to do! Open that door," ordered Ryle.

Corporal Peters went to the door, "Hey Serge, check this out," he pointed at the padlock on the door, "The numbers are the exact same as ours."

"That's nice. Open it."

"Uh, yes Sir," Peters placed a small box to the door. The Hacker worked through millions of combinations of numbers in mere seconds. It took about five seconds and the box bleeped. The door parted from the center out. The Corporal raised his MA5C as the door opened. He searched the barrel around the hall way. He gave the clear to move forward with a hand movement.

The soldiers moved along the halls up and down stair ways. The ship was fairly dark except for the dim hallway lights. Each man and women kept their weapons raised. They moved slowly, doubling in front of each other for cover. Until they thought they were close to the bridge. A large door separated them from the command center.

The Sergeant gave multiple hand signals. Everyone knew exactly what their job was. The Corporal was just about the set the Hacker on the door when it slid open. Peters leaped backwards as his weapon was not drawn. Two Marines doubled in front of him to protect him while six more advanced into the room.

"Freeze, freeze, freeze!"

"Drop your weapons!"

"Get down on the ground!" Each Marine searched through the room. The end of a rifle covered every crack, corner, and door.

"Relax," said Ryle, "There isn't anyone here."

All of a sudden something at the font of the bridge moved, "Freeze!" yelled Sergeant Ryle. The figure didn't stop. It walked toward them, "On the ground now!"

The figure still walked toward them. Sergeant Ryle assessed the situation. And what ever it was could be a threat to him and his team. He fired his Battle Rifle once for a warning shot. It still didn't stop. He allowed a trio of BR55 shells to pierce the head of the figure. Sparks flew and the figure dropped to the floor. It ceased to move.

Corporal Peters leaned down to the figure, "Sir, it looks like a robot."

"Is the whole race robots maybe?" said another Marine.

"Ok, everyone," said Ryle, "Search the ship for everything it's got. If there is anyone or anything else here, I wanna know about it."

"Yes Sir."

"You got it Serge."

* * *

X

X

1430, September 24, 2554 (UNSC Military Calendar) / Great Fox, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"Hey Jair, check this out!" a younger private stepped into a room aboard the Great Fox.

"Whoa," in front of them were two Scorpions and two Warthogs, "what in the hell are these doing here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

* * *

X

X

1430, September 24, 2554 (UNSC Military Calendar) / Great Fox, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"Move in!" ordered a Corporal. The trio burst into the room. It was a bedroom. A large bed sat in one corner of the room.

"Clear!"

"Zone is clean!"

"Well, I think that rules out robots."

* * *

X

X

1500, September 24, 2554 (UNSC Military Calendar) / Great Fox, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"Captain, orders?" Sergeant Ryle said into the radio.

Captain Mitchell's voice came back, "Roger that. Have you secured the ship?"

"Affirmative Sir. We found two Warthog and Scorpions, some small fighters and a robot. Unfortunately we had to neutralize the bot. There are bedrooms, hangers, more then enough ammo for all of our weapons, Machineguns, BRs, Shotguns. It's all here Sir. And it's all our technology."

"Acknowledged, the Horror Frost has been engaged by the Covenant Flagship," the Captain suddenly spoke to someone else on his end, "Arm those MACs! I need a firing solution!"

* * *

X

X

1450, September 24, 2554 (UNSC Military Calendar) / Horror Frost, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"Sir, the Flagship is charging its cannons, orders?" the Lieutenant spoke coolly, "Impact estimated 90 seconds."

The Captain only heisted for a split second only, "MACs?"

"MAC one and two are ready to fire. MAC three charging… all MACs are online and on standby. Disengaging safeties, ready to rock Sir."

"Good, take the safety off one off the HAVOKS. You have permission to fire," said Captain Mitchell.

"Firing MACs one, two, and three," a trio of shocks came from the hull of the Cruiser.

Another man on the bridge reported in, "Covenant Flagship's guns are losing charge. Their shield is down. They are concentrating on getting their shields charged."

"Excellent!" said the Captain. He was using the oldest trick in the book, "I need a firing solution on our HAVOK. Fire it just before their shields charge."

"Roger that Captain!" the Lieutenant's fingers danced across the keyboard, "Firing HAVOK Nuclear Warhead in, three, two, one, arming, HAVOK away."

The warhead sped through the darkness of space. Archer missiles assisted it. In another few seconds the warhead stuck the Flagship. The crew squinted as the warhead exploded. The crippled ship hit its thrusters and made its way straight toward the Horror Frost.

"Sir, they're going to ram us. They're shield came up sooner then expected," said the weapons officer.

"Arm the MAC with a salvo round. Evasive maneuvers! Fly right over them and fire at their bridge!" ordered the Captain.

This strategy took bravery and had only been contemplated and never before actually done. The MAC guns were on the belly on the Horror Frost. They were going to pass right over the Covenant Ship. The bridge of their enemy was more strategically placed. Their bridges were in the center on the ship as the UNSC had their command centers in the very front.

"Yes Sir, engaging engines setting them to sixty percent."

"Not good enough," said the Captain, "set engines to one hundred and thirty percent."

"Uh, yes Sir!" the engines fed the ship forward. The pilot reported in, "Captain, core meltdown in sixty seconds."

"Hold on everyone! Safety off the MACs, we'll get three shots at this!" the Horror Frost pulled up passed over the Flagship, leaving mere meters in between, "Fire!"

The first two MAC salvos missed. But the final one found its target. The salvo shredded clean through the hull of the enemy ship and tore the bridge to pieces. With the burst of atmosphere leaving the Flagship, it caused the aft to jot upwards. The aft of each ship contacted. The Horror Frost bounced and every member of the ship that was standing fell to the deck.

The Captain pulled himself from the floor, "Damage report."

"Sir, MAC three is completely destroyed. It's been ripped from the ship, minimal hull damage and no hull breaches taken to the Frost."

Another officer reported in, "Covenant Flagship neutralized. Excellent job Sir, the bridge of the Covenant ship no longer exists. We hit 'em where it hurt! The ship is completely immobilized. It can't be repaired."

The captain ran his hand through his silver hair. Mitchell scratched his chin and smiled, "Order the Hell Jumpers to their stations."


	10. First Contact

**Ch. 10: First Contact**

1505, September 24, 2554 (UNSC Military Calendar) / Near Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

The Spartan walked through the open of the field making his way up to the base. He hated to be in the light. And not just the light, he hated being in the open. There was nowhere for him to hide and no opportune places to run to.

"Cortana, are you sure about this?"

"Or course not Chief. But we have to find a reasonable way to approach them. If they saw that you destroyed some Covenant infantry and armor then they will probably figure out that you're on their side."

"Unless their like the Flood."

"Hmm, I never considered that option," said the AI, "But that can't be. Their tactical chatter is on an encrypted channel. The Flood don't communicate that way. If it is they communicate at all."

"Have you been able to break the code for the channel?"

"Negative, it is very well encrypted. It's unlike anything I have ever seen before. They sure spent their time. And it's very well done."

The Spartan grew ever closer to the base. He was at the distance where he could see figures aiming their weapons at him. They seemed to be almost human, "Should I drop my weapon?"

"I would not recommend it. If they haven't fired already then they probably won't. Besides you may need it. Just incase. But they probably won't fire."

"Probably?"

"Well I could run statistics."

"That won't be necessary," the Spartan kept walking. He was ready at any second to run, or fire. He tightened his grip of the MA5C.

"Relax Chief."

"I am."

The Spartan heard his radio click on, "Master Chief," the voice said.

"Sir."

"Have you made contact with these… Cornerians?"

"Negative Sir, not yet."

Cortana butted in, "Captain, what about support."

The captain took a seat at his chair, but the Spartan didn't know that. They didn't have a holo-channel open, "Ah, that's the reason I called you. The ODST are on their way. The pods have just left the ship. ETA to arrival, ninety seconds."

"Acknowledged, over and out," Cortana flicked off the channel, "Chief, you have to make contact, now. The arrival of the ODST could intimidate these new forces. And if the ODST get fired at, they won't leave anything left for us to make peace with."

* * *

X

X

1507 September 24, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

Fox peered down the scope of his Sniper. He wasn't going to shoot but he wanted to get a good look at what was approaching them, "Doesn't look Covenant. The color scheme is different."

"No one fire," said Kaplan.

Fox jumped over the barricade. Krystal shouted at him, "Fox?! Where are you going?!"

"Crazy kid! Get back here!" yelled Falco.

"Fox, you're gonna get yourself killed!" Slippy said last.

Falco shook his head. He spoke to the toad and the little blue vixen, "Oh my god, I think I'm actually going to do it this time. I think I'm going to kill him."

Fox ignored all of them. He walked toward the new creature.

"Ok everybody!" commanded Kaplan, "If that thing as much as rises its gun to the Captain, kill it. Snipers you got this one. Don't hit McCloud."

* * *

X

X

1507 September 24, 2554 (UNSC Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"That's a good sign," said the Chief. He noticed in the distance that a figure was walking toward him.

"Well done Chief," complimented Cortana.

"We're not out of here yet."

The two kept walking toward each other. Once they got closer the Chief was taken by surprise. This is one of the last things he would have suspected. In fact it wasn't even on the list. No one should ever have to suspect anything like this, "Cortana am I seeing this right?"

"Yes… uhh… yes you are. It's… a partially humanized fox… I, I think."

Fox's heart raced. He was afraid. As he got closer to the figure he just wanted to raise his gun and fire. But he didn't. He was braver then that. He put out his paw, "Captain Fox McCloud, Corneria."

The Spartan put out his hand, "Master Chief Spartan 117, UNSC. Who's in charge here?"

"Come with me," said Fox. It felt awkward to walk next to the thing. It was huge compared to him. The Spartan was a good third of a meter taller then him.

The Spartan opened a private channel with Cortana, "I don't understand."

"Me neither, just go with it. The UNSC can't afford another race fighting us."

Fox spoke to the Spartan, "Welcome to command post Alpha. This is our front line command post against the Covenant," Fox hesitated at the last words. He wasn't sure if this warrior was Covenant. If he was, then Fox would have probably already been destroyed. Another thought that came to mind was that, this warrior was Covenant, but an infiltrating unit. If he is, then he won't strike until he gets the best chance.

"I understand Captain," said the Spartan.

A thought came to Fox's mind. He thought it to himself, "Maybe he was a human? The UNSC… hmm," he looked at the Spartan and then asked him, "Are you… a human."

"Affirmative."

"Then you're fighting the Covenant too."

"That's right."

"Are there more like you?"

The Spartan couldn't decide if he was talking about Spartans or other humans. Spartans were quite unique compared to regular men. The only down side is that the fox would think that all humans are unique like him. Though the ODST were tough, they weren't nearly as tough a he was, "Affirmative. We have a ship circling Halo as we speak."

Fox and the Spartan came to the command post. Fox led him to the wolf, "Sergeant Kaplan here is in charge."

"I thought you said you were a Captain."

"I am. I'm just not in charge. I'm… a mercenary."

The Spartan was about to question the vulpine again but he didn't yet know how the ranks worked. Cortana had said they were the exact same but it could be possible that they were ordered differently. He put his hand out, "Master Chief Spartan 117. UNSC."

"UNSC? The wolf asked in question, "I though you were extinct."

"Do you want my help or not?" said the Spartan.

"Easy Chief," Cortana said to him privately inside his helmet.

"Of course we do," the wolf nodded.

"Have you found the monitor?" asked the Chief.

"The monitor?"

* * *

Authers Note: Ok, I'm going to be putting more time into this story now. And I've had some questions of other Stories that are being written by me so here a list:

-StarFox: The Quarantine

-StarFox: Alternation

-StarFox: Rouge

-StarFox: The Above and Beyond Sequal (Haveing a lot of problems with this one so... yeah.)


	11. Orbital Drop Shock Troopers

Authers note: Just incase for those of you who don't know or have not realized it, we still have a lot of ground to cover in this story. We're just barely at the begging. Think of all the things that still need to happen. Now that I have played HALO 3 I have some better understanding and I make the stroy better. Keep reading and thank you.

**X**

* * *

Ch. 11: Orbital Drop Shock Troopers

1515, September 24, 2554 (Cornerian / UNSC Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

The Chief looked up into the sky. He was just in time. Beautiful balls of flame entered the atmosphere. He had some problems explaining what the monitor was and some other aspects of the ring. They knew little to nothing. But now he had genuine help, the ODST were coming.

Fox looked into the golden visor of the Spartan. He admired the beauty of the armor. And though he would never ask, he wanted one for himself. The vulpine turned to the vixen, "So, what do you think about our new friend."

Krystal put her paws to her temples and thought for a moment. She looked at Fox, "He is very objective and has a very strong soul. All he wants is to get his mission complete."

"What is his mission?" Fox asked.

Krystal looked into her heart for the answer, "I can't tell, Elimination of the enemy perhaps. I can sense his thoughts. He has quite the history. Apparently he is unique compared to most others of his own kind," she shook her head and turned to Fox.

Fox heard whining and looked into the sky. He and Krystal were crouched beside each other. Fox pulled back the receiver of the SA2 and let the bolt quickly slip forward, "I guess we're about to find out."

Krystal turned to what Fox was looking at, "Not again. You got my back, I got yours?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Fox smiled.

Krystal kissed him on the cheek, "Me neither. I won't let that happen again," she giggled when Fox blushed. He usually did. He was embarrassed as he usually was when she kissed him.

Kaplan turned his muzzle to the sky, "Everyone, take your post. Enemy inbound. Man that 50."

The Spartan just simply put his hand on the wolf's shoulder, "Order your troops to stand down."

"Look bud, until I'm dead or the Captain takes over, I'll be giving the orders to MY team," the Sergeant tapped him on the armor.

"Relax their friendly."

"How can you be sure?" asked Kaplan. The Spartan just stared him down and the wolf abided, "Stand down everyone. They're friendly."

The pods grew closer. Each of the Cornerian soldiers placed their weapons closer to their chests. The sound of the approaching pods began to scream. A pod slammed into the ground, leaving a big indent. The outside read UNSC Hell Jumpers ODST B Co. In another few seconds a dozen more hit the area around the base.

One of the doors burst open soon fallowed by all the others. The ODST troopers closest to the base burst out. He raised the BR55. Then he stopped and looked at the Spartan, "Sir?"

"Their on our side," said the Spartan as he slung his MA5C over his shoulder.

Since there was no firing the other ODST in the area soon came to the base. The commander of the company came to the Chief, "Sir. Lieutenant Perez, B Company. Would you mind telling me what the hell is going on here?"

Fox looked at the other soldiers. Each wore a uniform similar to the Spartan's. They wore more silver and grey rather then gold and green though. Fox had yet to meet a human face to face. They all wore helmets it seamed. Each of the many soldiers had small steel packs on. It looked like it was attached to the armor. The packs read, ODST. They defiantly looked superior to Cornerians and even superior to the Covenant. Defiantly more organized anyway. They're technology was crude but it defiantly effective, it out powered most of Corneria's equipment, even though it was sometimes not as efficient.

The Spartan didn't know how to explain it to the Lieutenant, "Cortana, maybe you should take this one."

"My pleasure, ok Hell Jumpers, this is our status. These are Cornerians; they have adopted our some of our older technology. They are here to help us. We have to find the index, that or the monitor and destroy Halo before the Flood can be released. The Covenant know about the Flood and they no longer have a way off this ring. They would be ill advised to let them go, but, I have been wrong before. The risk would be great but it is possible that they might still do it, as a last resort anyway. Hell Jumpers, I'm sure you all know more then enough about the Flood. So, we are here to destroy Halo."

"Hey, Whoa," said the wolf, "destroy Halo? Not on my watch."

"Sergeant," replied the Chief, "Halo isn't a weapon. We need to destroy it."

"I thought I made this clear. I am the commander of this base," Kaplan replied with aggravation. It felt like he was being undermined. It wasn't fair that this being could just come in and boss him around.

Hell Jumpers some times had an attitude and they never took 'no' for an answer. Unless it was the 'no' of a superior, "This thing giving you trouble Chief?" the ODST moved closer to the wolf.

"This thing?" Kaplan sneered, "What about you? You don't look like the pick of the litter either."

The ODST stepped right up the wolf. They were virtually the same size, "Funny you should use the word litter."

"You wanna go? You and me, right here and now," the wolf spoke into the visor of the trooper. All he could see was himself in the scratched silver faceplate.

The ODST dropped his 5C, "Chief?"

"Negative Corporal," the Spartan would have let them fight but the truth was he didn't want the wolf to lose. Hell Jumpers were tough and the Corporal would probably end up killing the wolf. That or he would be completely wrong and the wolf would kill his man. It was basically lose-lose if they fought to the death. The Master Chief would not allow it, not right now anyways.

Kaplan was similar to Falco. He didn't take any BS from anyone. He spat on the troopers faceplate. The ODST looked at the Spartan and the Chief shot him a quick nod. He knew that the trooper had been disrespected. The OSDT man nodded back. He turned his back to the wolf and took a step forward. He then spun around with lightning speed. The metal knuckles of the ODST armor contacted with the wolf's stomach.

"Guh!" Kaplan gasped for air and fell to his knees. The mechanics of guns began to work as both forces loaded their weapons.

His right-hand-man Prower kneeled beside him, "Serge!"

Fox knew it was time for him to intervene, "Hey, let's cool down here. We're all in this together."

The ODST Corporal turned to the vulpine, "Hey Chief, what are we doing here with these scavengers. I came here for a fight, not to be humiliated. I'd sooner die," that fact was true. A ODST unit would rather die then be disrespected.

"Agh!" Kaplan threw himself from the ground and onto the back of the ODST Corporal. He wielded knife in his paws. He tried to slit the throat of the trooper, but the protective armor wouldn't allow it. The Corporal flipped the wolf over off his back. Kaplan landed on his tail. He spun around.

The Corporal aimed his MA5C at the Cornerian Sergeant, "Sir," he said calmly and quickly. He awaited his order.

"Stand down, Corporal," said the Chief again. The Spartan was correct. The ODST were stronger. But if it wasn't for the protective armor, the Corporal would have probably have died. At some times they had an unfair advantage, but not compared to the Covenant.

"Chief I'm getting sick of this!" said the Corporal. He lowered the MA5C, but still kept the safety off. He didn't trust the wolf.

"Enough!" Fox was taking over, "We need to get our bearings here. Now what's going on? What's the Flood, and what's the monitor?" he knew that the humans knew way more about the ring then any of them.

The Spartan looked at him, "The monitor is the protector of the ring."

Cortana then took over, "Each Halo contains a monitor. It protects and repairs the Halo. The monitor ensures that all the systems are ready to fire at any moment."

"So, Halo is a weapon. How do we use it against the Covenant?"

"Halo is not a weapon," Cortana went on, "It was a structure created by the Forerunners to contain and control the Flood."

Fox was completely confused. He didn't understand what all these new words meant, "So now we are fighting along side with the Covenant no… the Flood and the Forerunners?"

"Negative, the Forerunners have been extinct for thousands of years. These rings are ancient and so are the Flood."

"The Flood?" Falco crossed his arms.

"A parasitic being and extremely infectious, they inhabit the depths of this ring. We have to destroy Halo before anyone get's a chance to use it," Cortana finished.

The Chief continued, "We need to have our forces contact with one another. We need your encryption to your channel. Once we blow this ring, whoever is on it, will be going up with it. Our ship can get you off safely."

Sergeant Kaplan nodded. He pulled out a PDA and tossed it to the Spartan, "Here, this is our data encryption."

The super-soldier tracked the PDA as it flew through the air. He caught it at the perfect angle in his glove. The Chief looked it for but a moment. He spoke to Cortana Privately, "Did you get that Cortana?"

"Yes Chief," replied the AI, "It was so simple, and yet I still couldn't crack it."

The man handed it back to the paw of the wolf, "We boarded a ship called something along the lines of "Fox". Whose is it?"

Fox turned to him, "That's my ship and my team's. We're Starfox and that ship is named the Great Fox. What happened to it?"

The Spartan shook his head, "Nothing its fine. We didn't know of you, so the UNSC boarded it to ensure that it wasn't a Covenant ship."

Slippy scratched his chin. He was now more fascinated with the ring then he had ever been. It was more then just a satellite, it was like a trilogy, "I notice you said 'each halo'. Does this mean there are more?"

"Yes, that is true," said the AI.

Slippy continued to ask questions, "I still don't understand the purpose of this ring."

Cortana explained again. She knew she had to be patient with them, "Halo is an installation build specifically for the containment of the Flood. And to certain extent, yes Halo is a weapon. It was made to destroy the Flood if they were to ever break loose. There was one, what I would call design error in the making of this ring."

"What?" Slippy asked.

"The ring doesn't kill the Flood."

Falco sneered, "Huh, a lot of good that does."

Cortana went on, "It kills their food."

Fox froze for a moment, "Their food?"

"Correct, Human, Cornerian, Covenant, we are all equally edible."

Krystal's eyes were wide, "Edible?"

"As I said before," Cortana said with a little irritation then went on normally, "The Flood are parasitic."

Fox was starting to get the gist of things but there were still a few facts that he did not understand, "So, the Forerunners built Halo to control the Flood. But Halo is also a weapon that is used to destroy not the Flood, but the food it eats. And the food it eats, they eat, whatever… is us."

"That's right," said the Spartan, "So if we were to activate this ring, it would kill not the Flood but us."

The artificial intelligence added on, "Any sentient being that moves and thinks for its self is considered as food."

Sergeant Kaplan looked away, "That's disgusting."

The Chief watched the Sergeant walk away, "You don't know the half of it."

Fox had many more questions but he only decided to ask one more, "What are the Flood? If they are unleashed, what do we look for? Are they some kind of bug or fly or are they microscopic?"

The Chief replied once again, "If you see them, you'll know. Cortana where do we head first?"

"I saw a construct coming in. Covenant ground forces have been detected in the area as well. 'A' Company was sent to find the control room. As soon as they do, your orders are to form with them and help them. We have to secure then index first, then find a solution to destroy Halo. Unfortunately even two HAVOKS would not be able to destroy the ring. The Horror Frost simply does not posses that kind of power. The only way we would be able to do it would be to do the same as we did with the Autumn."

The Chief shook his head, "That's not going to happen."

"Then we can either wait," Cortana paused, "or go and take out the Covenant position."

"What do you think?" the Spartan let the MA5C fall from his shoulder, and into his other hand.

"Right, of course," replied the AI.

The Spartan looked to the Cornerians, "I'm going to need some of your equipment."


	12. The Welcoming Comity

Authers Note: Hey anyone who is reading. I'm not just a writer, I actaully started as a movie maker. Anyways, I was board one night so, i decided to make this. It ties in with the story. you all for reading and supporting the Story.

Try finding it on Youtube. The site won't let me insert a link so if you want to go to youtube and search DarqFox. Somewhere it will say: "StarFox Echo Halo: Run Alive Through The Light teaser" or something very similar.

**X**

* * *

Ch. 12: The Welcoming Comity

1515, September 24, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Home Base, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"Sir!" a young fox slid around the corner into the Commander Keeding's makeshift office. The young man sounded urgent and frightened.

"What is it?" the hound stood up at his desk.

"Multiple airborne targets, moving in fast!"

"Bombs?"

"I-I don't know Sir!"

"Bring the base to full alert. Everyone to their stations. At first sight fire."

"Understood Sir!" the fox dashed out of the room and down the extensive halls. He immediately reported to his senior, "Lieutenant, Keeding said to put the base on full alert and to fire at will."

The dog nodded, "You heard him everyone. Lock and load. If the Covenant are even so much as insight. Kill 'em."

* * *

X

X

1530, September 24, 2554 (UNSC Military Calendar) / Near Cornerian Home Base, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

Tanner peeked around the corner of a rock. There was a team of over twenty behind him. At the very end of his sight was a large structure, possibly a Covenant position, but it would make a great spot for their command post.

None of the ODST had heard anything from the Chief or Cortana. Only one channel was active, but it was encrypted and even the specialists couldn't seem to break the code. It was a shame really; the specialists usually looked to deep when it could have been as simple as a number could have been equal to its order in the alphabet.

The Communicator smashed his radio on a rock, "This is C Company anyone there? Respond, Over!"

The superior grabbed the radio from his hand, "Easy! Well still need that!" the man threw it back.

Tanner reported in by stalking at a regular voice, "Nothing seen. Large structure approximately two-kilo-half up-spin."

Philip lay down and crawled around the corner. The ODST put down the bipod for the scope and searched, "Can't see much from here. Maybe some movement. Or, maybe the wind. I don't know Sir."

The superior Officer put his hand on Private Fist-Class Tanners shoulder, "We've done this before, and we'll do it again. We'll take it, then get some support from the Frost. Get some Warthogs down here. Cause I don't like walking. Think we could get signal from up there?"

One of the Communications officers looked at what his Officer was looking at. It was defiantly high, "Yeah, that'll be plenty."

One of the other Hell Jumpers looked at the Officer, "I've never known for you to be Hell Jumper Master Sergeant."

The officer looked back, "There's probably a lot you don't know about me. And until we get this base we aren't getting any help," the officer reached under the chin of his helmet. He slowly unbuckled the locks and slid off the helmet of the OSDT uniform. Out came an African American man.

"Yeah Johnson," said another, "You always chicken and ride it out on the Pelicans."

Master Sergeant Johnson lit up a cigar, "I'm here now aren't I?" he drew in a breath and puffed it out.

"So," asked the sniper he was still searching down the scope, "What's this I hear about a new race?"

"Probably just rumor, if we can take the Covenant on, these other guys will be no problem. Am I right Marines!?"

A whoop of excitement came over the ODST.

The Master Sergeant nodded, "Yeah, damn right I am!"

"What if they're not bad?"

"I told you. It's probably just rumor. Worry about the Covenant for one. They'll be the death of you," the only reason that Johnson had survived so long was because he only lived by the pure hatred of his enemy. The only thing that kept him alive was his lust to kill his enemy. He didn't scare easy either, but he was no Spartan.

"Filthy habit," said Phillip.

Johnson spoke with his hand with the cigar between two fingers, "You just be damn well grateful that I get this kind of treatment. A happy Sergeant makes for a happy team. So smile, while you still go something to smile about."

"So do we plan to get there tonight?"

The Sergeant tapped his cigar and chewed on it in his mouth, "Right, Nickels your on point. Let's get this done with. Let's make it quick and tight. Stay close. Keep an eye out for Covenant patrols in the area."

"Yes Sir, Sergeant," a Corporal took the lead. They moved silent and swift until they were within snipers distance of the base.

Phillip steadied the sniper as he found a position, "Wait," he put his hand up and the rest of the team stopped, "Serge, we got movement and… what!?"

"What is it?" asked Johnson.

"Well, let's just say I didn't come here to go hunting. I never bought my tags."

Johnson took the scope of the spotter, "Let's see here," he focused his eye in and out and adjusted the optics, "Huh, big game hunter hey?"

"That's what it looks like."

The rest of the ODST were eager to learn what was going on.

"What do you mean Sir?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

The Master Sergeant chuckled, "Well, I guess those rumors weren't exactly false. Animals with guns."

"What?" most the Company said it at once.

"You heard me. What do we got here? We got, some dog, bird, cat, uhh fox, wolverine, and badger I think," Johnson could have went on. He got up from the scope, "Well they know we're here. They got the whole defense set up. Scorpions, Warthogs…" he was cutoff.

"Come on! Stop screwing with us!"

"I ain't screwing with any of you!" Johnson made his voice serious and then the whole company knew that he wasn't kidding. They were up against animals with guns.

"So, what do we do?"

The officer smiled, "Has anyone ever heard of a guinea pig?"

Tanner looked at the ground, "Oh no."

* * *

X

X

1700, September 24, 2554 (UNSC Military Calendar) / Near Cornerian Home Base, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"Now! Go!" Phillip whispered.

"Why do I have to!?" Tanner hissed back.

"Cause it's gonna be dark soon," said Johnson.

"Why can't you?" Tanner said back.

"Cause I'm an officer," the Master Sergeant booted him in the back and pushed to ODST out of cover. The base was still at least five hundred meters away.

"I don't even get a gun?"

"No! Go!" said Phillip.

The trooper started to walk. He waved his arms and jumped up and down. He felt like a complete moron. He didn't even know who this kind was. They were animals, not aliens. The trooper raised his arms and started yell. It wasn't bad enough that he as going in to meet a new race, Johnson was making him do it without a weapon. He wasn't as so much scared as he was humiliated, "Hey! Don't shoot! Hold your fire!"

* * *

X

X

1703, September 24, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Cornerian Home Base, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

"What do you make of this?"

"I-I don't know," a dog and a young fox were talking to each other as a sniper team.

"Hey, don't shoot it man. It doesn't have a weapon."

"Nah, I won't. We should tell Commander Keeding. Go do it, I'll stay here and keep an eye on it."

"Be right back," the young fox stood up and ran from his post to Keeding's office, "Sir! If I may?"

"What is it now private?" the hound asked.

"Well, you might have to come check this one out for yourself," the fox paused then remembered, "Sir."

"Is it really that important?"

"Yes Sir."

The hound looked around for a moment, "Very well."

* * *

X

X

1705, September 24, 2554 (UNSC Military Calendar) / Near Cornerian Home Base, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System.

**X**

Tanner felt like a moron. He was being singled out and the sacrifice, if you will. He stopped walking and making movements when in the distance he spotted two targets moving toward him, fast. They were Warthogs.

The remainder of team was staying well hidden. They were weapons ready. If this race decided to fire, then they were screwed. The Hell Jumpers would take them all out.

The two Warthogs raced in. Each was full. Three in each of the two vehicles, they slowed as they came closer. Tanner froze as the weapons on the Warthogs turned toward him. He knew what they could do to a man. The Machinegun could cut you clean in half and the Gauss Canon would literally tear you apart.

A humanized wolverine jumped out of the passenger seat, "On the ground! Now!"

Tanner abided. He set himself on the ground with his hands behind his helmet.

The dog that was sitting in the other Warthog jumped out too. He cradled his MA5B closely, "Who are you?"

The ODST was half scared but yet he was half annoyed. No regular person could be a Hell Jumper. It took a special type of crazy. Tanner rolled his eyes inside his helmet, "Private First Class Jeff Tanner. C Company. OSDT. United Nations Space Command."

The dog and wolverine spoke among each other, "What do you think?"

"I don't know. Some human straggler sounds like. He doesn't have anything left. We should just waist him."

In a spit second the mechanics of weapons began to work. The ODST armed rockets and rifles. They aimed down from rocks and from around trees. Master Sergeant Johnson raised the SA2 to his shoulder. The two powerful turrets of the Warthogs loomed down on him. He was defiantly brave but he wasn't invincible, "If you want to keep your eyes inside their sockets I'd tell your boys the chill. Get up Tanner."

Tanner tried to get up but a boot kept his stomach to the ground, "I don't think so," said the wolverine. He tightly grasped the MA5B that he had.

Johnson did the negotiating, "I'm thinking that you don't know how serious this is. Everybody, just drop your weapons," he looked around at his Company, "Go ahead put him down, "He turned to the two Cornerians in the center along with the rest that armed the 12.7mm Machinegun and 25mm Canon, "Go on you guys too," he put out his hand, "Master Sergeant Johnson, UNSC."

The dog hesisted a moment. Then he cooperated, "Mike Nesbo Corneria."

The Sergeant could ignore the fact that they were animals. He has seen way stranger. This was completely normal it seemed, "You guys got some major problems on you han… paws. Who's in charge of this shin-dig?"

"Commander Keeding, Come with us."

It was weird for them to all work together. They put one LRV at the front and one at the back. This would lesson the confusion that they were allies and not POWs.

The UNSC had done it, for the time being. They had successfully made contact with the new race. But only time would tell if the two parties could remain allies, there was still the Covenant to deal with after all. And not to mention the terror that lurked beneath them.

The UNSC had never actually successfully destroyed a Halo without releasing the epidemic of the Flood. It was even worse when they came to Earth. He had a felling that this new race had much to learn. And much to lose. Not even he knew all about the rings.


	13. Coalition

Ch. 13: Coalition

1200, September 25, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Sergeant," Fox got the attention of the Wolf Sergeant, "I thought Fire Team Alpha were supposed to be back by now."

Kaplan was looking down over the canyon. He was almost hypnotized, "They were. I just hope that the humans didn't run into them before they ran into us. They could be dead."

"They were after, what? Some sort of weapons cache?"

"That's right. I didn't mention it to the humans though. I didn't want them going after it."

Fox nodded, "I understand. This war is long from over Sergeant."

"I know. It just started. Any plans for when it's done?"

The red fox shook his head, "I don't plan on surviving."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. This Covenant doesn't seem too friendly."

"Come with me, Sir," said the wolf. Fox fallowed him to the back of the small outpost. It was where most the troops couldn't see, except for the unlucky few that had been working there. There were rows of bodies lined up, each was covered with a white sheet, "These were my men. Theses were my women. They gave their lives defending and reclaiming this post. Some were fathers, mothers. Their lives matter to me. I want to get these soldiers out of here. They don't deserve to be buried here. But, I don't know how were going to do it."

Fox suddenly filled with sorrow as he looked upon rows and rows of figures. They were just like him. Everyone was all in it together. It was a game of skill and cunning but most importantly, luck, "I'm very sorry Sergeant."

Krystal approached the two men from behind. She held one paw on her head and was looking at the ground.

Fox worried, "How you feeling?"

"Not so well. Something's giving me a headache."

"Not much we can do about," remarked the wolf, "Many are suffering much worse. I'm sorry."

"That's fine. I'll be ok," something was clouding Krystal's sixth sense. It was like nothing she had ever encountered before. She knew she was safe for the time being but it was defiantly something. She couldn't figure out what though.

The sound of a distant hissing came into bound. Fox shook his head, "Here we go again. How many of these troops are there? Do they ever give?"

"I guess not," Kaplan looked to the sky. Five distant dots appeared on the horizon. They were coming toward them.

Everyone readied as they had before, for the drills and the real thing. As the dots grew closer, a sound came over the radio that Kaplan had hooked onto his front pocket, "Hey guys. Hear that you could use some support up here," the dots began to image. The green crafts drew closer and came to a hover. Each of the five had some sort of vehicle attached, "Courtesy of the Horror Frost and Captain Mitchell, boys. Enjoy!"

Each of the Pelican dropships reported in.

"Dieppe five-twelve ready to roll."

"Dieppe four-twelve, reporting in."

"Dieppe six-o-three inbound."

"Rio eight-sixty here."

"Rio ninety-o good to go."

The five dropships each dropped at least a dozen troops, both Cornerian and UNSC Marines. The pelicans spun their engines and just before leaving, each dropped eight or so small pods. The small pods contained more weapons and ammo, "Good luck Coalition ground teams!"

Fox and the rest of the troops and Command Post Alpha saw the humans for the first time. They were more like naked apes if anything. Some were obviously different races and genders but all seemed to wear the same grey helmet, excluding the few ODST in the crowd. Except for one, he wore a green military style cap. This man wasn't albino as most of the others seemed to be. His skin was sufficiently darker. He addressed everyone first, "Ok! This is how it goes. I'd like to welcome everyone to the Coalition. We'll all be working together to destroy this ring. After that's done, we'll see what happens. Who's in charge here?"

The wolf spoke up, "Hey, that's me."

Master Sergeant Johnson put out his hand, "Nice to meet you. Master Sergeant Johnson. Now we have orders to expand our perimeter and find the Chief."

"The Chief?" Fox asked.

"You know him?"

McCloud smiled, "We've met."

"Well tell me where is boy!" said Johnson.

"Whoa bud, that 'boy' outranks you," said Falco.

"Sorry," said Johnson, "Where you seen him?"

"It's fine. He was here yesterday. They took off in search of some Covenant strong hold. But there were only about a dozen of them. We were going to help them but they wouldn't let us come. There's no way they can survive that."

The Master Sergeant grinned, "He'll cut his way through. He should be back shortly then."

Fox was confused but he nodded anyways, "So, where to? Where do we go?"

"Our ship has scanned to ring for the Control Room. Chances are the Covenant already have control of it. It's about five hundred kilometers down-spin from here. We have to move in and take it. Then the Chief can take care of the Index. Once we take control of that room. Then that will become our main base. The Coalition will be abandoning the butte. But, there is a lot of Covenant between here and there."

Fox wasn't really listening. He was more intrigued with the new vehicles that they had brought with them. They looked like Warthogs, except minus the guns. They just had complete roll bars. There were five of them.

Johnson continued, "I'm sure you are all quite familiar with our technology. Half of us will be moving out and the other half will be holding position until we can secure another," the Master Sergeant put his hand down and spit the up the two, "The half of you on the right, will be staying here. The other half will be moving in. Any objections?"

"Yeah, I got one," Master Chief Spartan 117 stepped up behind Johnson.

"Yeah, you always do. Nice of you to join us Chief."

"Always a pleasure Sergeant."

Sergeant Johnson knew that the Chief would be going in. He always wanted to and that was best. He was a Spartan, "Chief, you'll be going in?"

"Affirmative."

"Then let's get cracking! Mount up! It's time for some hazard pay!" Johnson commanded.

Team Starfox was split up. Fox and Krystal on one side and Slippy and Falco on the other. Fox didn't want it this way though. He stepped up to Falco and Slippy. Fox was about to start talking, but Falco stopped him but putting his wing on the fox's muzzle and whispering, "No, me and Slippy will stay here. Go be a hero to your girl."

"She's not my girl!" Fox hissed.

Krystal was already near the LRV they were going to take. The Spartan had taken a spot on the 25mm Gauss Cannon. Fox ran to the Warthog and jumped into the drivers. He still possessed both of his weapons and the LRV that they had brought from the Great Fox had been stripped of most of the ammo it had during the firefights. It was good, now there was room for a passenger. That passenger was Krystal. Fox was in the seat while the Spartan was on the gun.

The truth was that Fox didn't want Krystal to be too close to the Spartan. Fox still didn't trust him. He was usually pretty quite. It was very odd. Fox started the Warthog, "How you feeling?"

"Good now," answered the vixen, "They seem to come and go."

The Chief was becoming a little impatient with the two fox's, "Drive."

Fox stepped on the gas, "Got it."

The LRV took a grip in the dirt. Eight Warthogs took off down the hill. Two of which were the ones with the quick Machinegun and the last one has the extra power of the Gauss Canon. The last five had been the carrier version of the Warthogs. Each had about a half a dozen troop both Cornerian and UNSC in them. They were all there. All were ready to fight.

The eight Warthogs sped down the canyon. The massive tires dug into the terrain. Fox spun the wheel and the hog turned to a power slid. The Spartan crouched to keep his footing on the turret. Krystal balanced the M90 shotgun on the top bar over the windshield, "Where are we going exactly?"

Fox was about to speak up but the Spartan beat him, "We are going toward the Control Room of Halo."

Fox nodded, their Warthog was in the lead, "So I'm still a little confused. Halo is a weapon."

Cortana took over. Her voice broadcasted from the speakers of the Warthog, "Halo is not a weapon. It is a containment facility for…"

* * *

X

X

1345, September 25, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / apx. 400 kilometers up-spin of Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

Fox had been driving for what had felt like hours. The display on the Warthog still read over four hundred kilometers to what the best of his knowledge was the center for controlling Halo. Cortana had tried explaining bits and pieces of it, but he still didn't completely understand the whole concept. There was so much new information; The Flood, The Forerunners, The Index, The Monitor. Not a lot of it made sense, not to him anyways.

Krystal seemed to grasp the concept a little better though. She almost knew what was happening. One thing remained a mystery to her though. There was a team sent to capture a Covenant weapons cache. They didn't come back. She had overheard Kaplan and Fox talking about them. They both believed they were dead. She really didn't want to believe that though. There were people dieing on the ring every day. One by one they would be all picked off.

Another mystery was in Krystal's head. This was the question of how many troops did the Covenant have? They just seemed to keep coming. Like they were just spending them left and right, often her team would win. But that was just because of sheer outnumbering and always the high ground. She had never actually executed an attack with the Covenant where the sides have been even. It had always been stacked in their favor. Or, maybe, luck. Fox always had luck. He was very lucky, especially since he had already died once.

Plus there was a no-fly zone for friendly aircraft. There was many suspected AA Guns in the area.

"Chief," said Johnson, "He was in the passenger seat of the other lead Warthog, "Intel coming in. The Horror Frost has been scanning the area ahead."

"And?" the Spartan asked.

"We're not sure. Large energy readings, Scarab?"

"Let's hope not," the Chief said deeply.

"A Scarab? What's a Scarab?" asked one of the Cornerian soldiers.

An ODST member answered, "You know what Wraiths are right? Well imagine that, except with four long legs, a huge ass gun, no make that two huge ass guns. Oh and one more thing, their loaded with guys and are around two hundred feet tall."

Another Marine finished, "They're more like mobile bases… of death."

"Yeah they're real nice."

"Of death… great," said the Cornerian. They were all bouncing around in the back of one of the carrier Warthogs.

A shadow moved across the ground. Not just a small one. A massive one.

"Scarab!"

All the LRVs split into different directions. The sounded of guns thundering and plasma hissing filled the air. Splashes of plasma glanced off the paint off the LRVs. Rockets whistled through the atmosphere. Most missed their marks and surpassed the Scarab.

Fox didn't even have a split second to react. Not even a being as quick as a Spartan would have. One of the four huge legs of the Scarab slammed into the side of the LRV. It was like the weight and the matter of the Warthog wasn't even there. The three were sent spiraling through the air. The vehicle was still intact for the most part.

It rolled and tumbled. The Spartan was thrown from the gun, but Fox and Krystal were still in it as it neared the edge of the cliff. Beneath was a two hundred meter drop into jagged rocks and the ocean below. Surely they couldn't survive that. The spinning LRV neared its destination, the edge.


	14. Battlecase

Ch. 14: Battlecase

1359, September 25, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / apx. 400 kilometers up-spin of Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

The small blue vixen's vision blurred in and out. She only remembered pieces to what had happened.

"Let's go!" it was obviously a yell but the words sounded so far away and were muffled, "Come on!"

She tried to open her eyes. When she finally did, the world was black and white. She was staring through the broken and cracked windshield of the M12 Warthog. Except something was wrong, it was all sideways, with an echo of a loud mechanics and hydraulics. Everything functioned in slow motion and not quite black and white, but most of the color was taken away from the scene.

The vixen looked to her left, toward the driver side of the Warthog, which was now pointed up. She could see each end of the Halo stretch up and meat in the middle. The vixen could also tell there were gunshots, but they sounded like low thumps and squeaks as they ricochet.

"We gotta get out of here!" the words came again, "Are you listening to me!?!"

Krystal noticed Fox he was above her. Fox was already out of his seat and outside, standing on the side panels of the tipped Hog. Krystal could see his paw reaching for hers. Before grabbing it, she looked to her right. Half of her view was ground, and other half of the view was nothing but jagged rocks and water, a long ways down.

"What are you waiting for!?! There's no time for that!" Fox was speaking loud and serious. But his voice sounded a longs ways off. He latched his paw onto hers. Krystal quickly undid the seatbelt with her other. She let Fox pull her up and out of the vehicle.

Fox put his arm around Krystal's shoulder and began to run. Plasma fire found the Warthog and riddled the bottom of the LRV. The superheated bolts soon found their way to the fuel tank.

The Warthog exploded in a blaze of yellow, orange, and shrapnel. The burnt fuselage flew off the edge of the cliff.

Fox and Krystal took cover behind a rock. It was just smaller then one of the M12s. The radio channel was in complete disarray.

"Medic!"

"Ambush! Lay down some fire!"

Fox had already calmed. Krystal was wide-eyed and frightened, "Stay down. I'll keep them busy," he pulled the receiver of the S2 AM Sniper back, loading a shell into the chamber. He rested the bipod on a lower part of the rock.

The rifle was nearly as tall as he was but just a little shorter. Krystal could hear him breathe in and take his shot at the Scarab. She still wasn't fully aware of her surroundings and immediate danger. The world was still slow and colorless to her. The crash had really shaken her up.

Then it all came back at once. Time returned to normal, her vision returned to normal, and so did the sound. The thunderclap from the Sniper Rifle made her jump.

The powerful 14.5mm round of the sniper found its target. An Elite on the ledge of the mobile base. The shell ripped through the shield of the alien. A blue, purple blood splattered on the back wall. A few Grunts freaked out and ran around randomly.

A Jackal spun and directed its fire toward Fox. It steadied the Beam Rifle and looked through the scope. The sharp eye of the alien put the crosshairs on the head of the fox. The last thing the Jackal saw was the vulpine looking back at it, the Sniper Rifle kicking his shoulder and the muzzle flash from the weapon. The armor piercing shell ripped the Jackals head in half.

"Target down," Fox said calmly.

"Gotta take this thing out!" broadcasted Master Sergeant Johnson, "Chief!"

"I'm already on it."

Fox peeked around the rock. There were two lone Warthogs fighting the Scarab, the others had retread to a safer position. Fox didn't know where the Spartan was.

"I can see troops on the top floor of the vehicle. Leave them to me," Fox once again steadied his shot. He fired it two more times before he had to change the magazine. Krystal was still in a daze from the accident. She was just watching Fox fire the sniper and reload it every now and then. Both of her weapons were missing. Fox handed her one of his, "Use it."

Krystal nodded, "Ok," she fumbled with the rifle for a moment and checked its status. Then she slipped the receiver back and the rifle was ready. The ammo counter read a crisp thirty-six.

Then there was a charging sound. The front of the Scarab began to glow. Energy collected and massed. Then it fired. Fox could feel the heat radiate off the massive weapon. The beam that it shot directed to one of the two Warthogs. It exploded in a blaze of fire and shrapnel.

"Man down!"

"Medics! We need medics!"

"No until we can get that thing taken out! You'll all be sitting ducks!"

Fox watched one of his comrades burning from the blaze. He was being toasted alive. The vulpine put the powerful scope of the sniper rifle onto the head of the wolverine. He didn't want him to suffer, "I'm sorry," he whispered it so lightly he could barely hear it. He closed his eye, and pulled the trigger. He didn't dare look back.

Krystal was over watching with her sixth sense, "You did the right thing Fox."

Fox flipped open his communicator. He felt his fur lift as the electrified plasma rounds flew over the cover and land on the ground, "ROB! We need a tank now!" he waited for a while but nothing came in return, "ROB come on!"

"What's wrong?" Krystal asked.

"ROB isn't responding."

"What do we do?"

Fox retook his poison, "We fight," he breathed in and fired the S2. The butt kicked his shoulder again, "How do we destroy it?"

The Master Sergeant was well away from the Scarab. He could still see it but he was safe as compared to Fox, Krystal and some of the others. He called back the carrier Warthogs, since they didn't have a large turret on the rear. Even then, they stood little chance.

Johnson tapped on the controls of one of the Warthogs, "Sergeant Johnson to the Frost. Things s'is a little messy down here. Think we could get some help?"

"Roger that Sergeant," replied Captain Mitchell, "What is your sit-rep?"

"Sir, we got a Scarab. We don't have the weapons to take it. We're down to one Warthogs, all the rest of them are carriers. The area is clear for anti-air guns. Requesting some backup."

"We'll give you better then that Master Sergeant. Please relay coordinates of the Scarab. You'll get your help."

He checked the compass and other instruments, "Bearing, kilo-23, 45.4 by 102.31 degrees."

"Acknowledged ground team, standby for MAC."

Johnson had herd of using the MAC guns on ground targets, but he never knew if it was actually proven true and effective. But he had heard of a ship using this technique a very long time ago, when the war had first started. It was called the Spirit of Fire. It had worked for them, "Roger that! Everyone back away! She's going up!"

"Oh and one more thing Johnson."

"Yes Sir?"

"You'll get your air support."

"Roger that. Thank you Sir! We could use some more Warthogs down here, or a tank. We will be standing by for Pelicans!"

"That's not exactly what I had in mind Sergeant."

Fox had no where to go that wasn't covered by fire. The ground seemed to be alive with bullets and bolts. All he could do was take cover, "Get down!"

Krystal made herself as small as she could behind the rock. It was all the protection that they had. Fox on the other hand didn't exactly think this way. He aimed the Sniper and spent the last of the clip. Only two of the four shells hit their marks. Of the four shells he fired, he was returned with hundreds of bolts and different types of munitions. They all splashed across the ground and what little cover Fox had.

Krystal pulled his arm so he sat right beside her, "Please Fox get down. We don't know what's going to happen."

Krystal was right to do that. Fox wouldn't have been dead, but her sure would have felt it a lot worst then. The force of the blast was amazing, even though he didn't get to see it.

It happened so fast. It was like a quick slitting sound through the atmosphere, then a whistle of that lasted mere nanoseconds, a fraction of a second after the whistle was a defining slam sound. The ground shook viciously. From behind the rock it looked like someone had just turned on rows upon rows of flood lights in the middle of the night. It was midday but the blast made it look like it was midnight everywhere else except for the place of the explosion.

The ground shook and cracked. Everything was about to fall off the edge of the cliff. A massive part of the ground cracked and began to tip toward the edge. A whole section was coming undone and Fox and Krystal were on it.

Fox was almost def, "Come on! Come on!"

Krystal and Fox started to run as the ground shook and tipped. Fox fell behind to make sure Krystal made it up. Krystal did make it. Fox however was a step too far behind. The ground cracked and broke under his footing. The Krystal moved farther and farther away from him. Fox was falling with the ground. He spun around and looked the other way, at the ever approaching ocean. His stomach filled with butterflies.

Krystal gained her footing and looked back. She was relived. She had made it. Krystal turned around, "We did it Fox! We…" Fox wasn't there. Krystal leaped to the edge just in time to see the rocks splash into the water. She never saw Fox. She just saw the waves and tide change as the rocks hit the ocean, "No! Fox!"

He could still be alive. Fox was tough. He could survive that. She looked down but all she could see was the moving of the waves and water. She searched it desperately looking for a body. Just one thing that symbolized Fox's life, she thought to herself, "_Please. Just one thing. Anything. Show me that he is alive._"

Butterflies burned at her stomach. There was nothing she could do. She stepped back from the edge in deep disappointment. The blue fox began to run. She had to find someone that could help. But then she thought, "_Who can help? What can be done?_"

A humming and whining filled the air behind her. The blue vixen first looked over her shoulder. She saw nothing. It hissed again even louder. She turned her head over her shoulder once more. Before Krystal's eyes appeared an airborne craft of some kind. It was in the shape of a "T" with two small turbines on each end of the wings.

She stepped back in fear. Her heart was pounding like a drum and her head stung. She took one more step backwards and tripped over her own heals. She lie on the ground flat on her back, scared. The little fox fumbled with the BR55, flipped the safety off and moved her eye to the scope of the rifle. The craft loomed above her.

Two figures sat on the outside of the craft, while dangling from one of the figures on the outside was the image of a familiar red fox.

The UNSC man on Krystal's right was leaned over while holding tightly onto Fox's paw, "Lose some weight!"

Fox laughed, "If you can anchor me, then you mush weight quite the pound too then!" he had to speak over the hissing of the craft.

"We haven't reached the ground yet fox! We're still over the water! Wouldn't want me to slip, would you?"

"Nah, nah, I take it back!"

The small craft hovered for a moment and then the turbines on each wing spun. The UNSC soldier wore thick sunglasses and the standard helmet. He let go of the fox and he fell to the ground. It wasn't exactly a graceful four meter fall. Fox tumbled in the air and landed flat on his face.

The craft spun and took off into the air. The soldier with the thick sunglasses laughed at the vulpine's expense, "Nice and graceful fox!"

Fox took a knee and spat the dirt out of his mouth, "yuck."

Krystal lifted him and hugged him tight. She sounded like a young kit, "Stop doing that."

Fox held his arms out by his sides for a moment as the little vixen had wrapped herself around his chest. He then reached down and returned the favor, "It's cool. I'm fine."

"I know. I was just so frightened."

Whatever was left of the team came over to where Fox and Krystal had just survived their fall.

A raccoon got out of the back of one of the Warthogs, "So, when you guys are ready, we have some work to do."

Fox patted Krystal on the back. She held tight. Ha patted her again. She still held tight. He tried once more, but it didn't work. Krystal was clung tight to him.

The raccoon chuckled, "What's wrong?"

Fox had a look of confusion upon his face, "I-I don't know. I gave her the 'pat on the back, hug is over' gesture."

It was like Krystal wasn't even listening. She had been saved by Fox, again. Every time it happened, it just made her more thankful that he had been there for her. That he is there for her, and hopefully, would forever be there for her. She knew she wanted to be there for him.

"Sir! Sergeant Ryle! Hornet Squadron one-eighty-five! Reporting for duty Sir!"

At least a dozen more of the UNSC Hornets emerged from under the cliff. Each engine whined and hissed as the moved about. Three of the stronger and faster Pelicans assisted them. The sky was now filled with friendly troops for once instead of the blue-purple Banshees and Phantoms.

"So that's what Mitchell meant huh? Hornets," replied Johnson, "Chance we can get a ride?"

"Yes Sir! Zephyr-one and Hellcat-three and four are on standby. We figured that you guys. Could use a lift, we're setting up a temporary command post near the control, room. Well be going in stealth and low. There still might some AA Guns in the area. We aren't sure yet. Once we get there, we'll be sending ground teams to naturalize suspected AA positions!"

The Pelicans spun and set down. The landing gears flipped out of its belly.

"Latch up them Warthogs," commanded Johnson. There were still five hogs so they decided to leave two behind. They took the LRV with the Machinegun and the two of the passenger hogs, "Everyone, climb in."

Fox was the last on to board the Pelican that he was taking. The crafts, though quite bulky had a majestic beauty to them. The insides were comfortably fitted with seats and weapon racks. Fox took a seat at the very back of the dropship, near the dangling Warthog.

When the craft took off, Fox half expected the LRV to fall, but it didn't. It held tight to the fuselage of the Pelican. When the ship thrust forward he put his head back into his seat. Fox was so tired. The crash had shaken him. He looked over at Krystal, "You ok?"

It wasn't as easy on her, "I'm fine physically, but my head is killing me."

The vulpine snatched the canteen off his belt, "Try some water. I don't know if it will help but it's worth a try."

For the first time, Fox noticed that there was a large Machinegun mounted to the troop bay of the Warthog. A UNSC woman had manned it. The Spartan must have been in one of the other two dropships.

This was also the first time that Fox had ever flown in one of the human dropships. It was fairly comfortable, lost of space, not too loud. The Pelican was flying very close to the ground. You must have had to be a very skilled pilot to fly a ship this big at such a low altitude and high speed. Fox figured he could do it.

The red vulpine leaned back into his seat once again, and fell asleep almost instantly.


	15. Bleeding in the Mind

Ch. 15: Bleeding in the Mind

1856, September 25, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / apx. 25 kilometers up-spin of Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

A marine officer coughed, "Status!"

Fox woozily took his footing. Smoke filled the air around him in the UNSC dropship. The sky outside the ship was a dark orange. He didn't know where he was exactly. All he remembered was that he fell asleep. Now he was awake. No one could have slept through that crash.

The vulpine snatched a weapon off the racks. The MA5C. He stumbled out of the rear of the Pelican. His training took over. Fox took cover at the base of an odd shaped tree. He hadn't even thought about anyone else beside's himself. He was too dazed to, "No contact, rear clean."

"Got it," Master Sergeant Johnson stumbled out of the front of the pelican. He spat out some blood, "Huh! No anti-air my a!"

Marines and Cornerians broadcasted their status;

"Sir, lost most of our ammo supplies."

"Only got a few medical packs left."

"Low on ammo, got a handful of grenades."

"Man, we need a medic."

"Who's down?"

A Cornerian dog was hunched over, "Krystal."

"What?" it took a moment for Fox to register. He took his eye off the rifle and fell back into the downed pelican. He looked over her limp body.

The dog spoke in a calm voice, "She's unconscious. Still alive though."

The red fox was afraid to touch her, "Any other injuries?"

"I don't think so. If there are they are minor. We'll have to move her. But we won't be completely sure about the injuries until she comes too."

A marine took Fox's position, "Sergeant, we should get moving. They'll be sending search teams for us soon."

Johnson nodded, "Yeah, understood. Grab all the weapons and ammo you can. Let'em know we're coming."

Everyone stalked up on what was left of the dropship. Fox gave his weapon to the dog. He threw the limp vixen over his shoulder. He was to take care of her now. She was his responsibility.

For a crash and all that had happened, the area was deathly silent. The wiped Pelican could easily be seen from a great distance. The Covenant would soon be after him. They would soon be trying to kill him once more.

Fox knew that, and it scared him, "We'll have to find a stronghold somewhere."

"Wha'da we got for anti-air and tank?" Johnson coughed.

A young ODST reported, "Very little, a few rounds for the rocket. If we come up to any competition like that, we'll be in some serious trouble."

"Contact!" a forward man shouted. The rattle of his gun began.

"Two more coming left!"

Fox wanted to be anywhere but here. He didn't have a chance to fight back. He didn't just hate the Covenant, he deeply feared them. The vulpine would also be slower then everyone else, because of Krystal. He had nowhere to go.

"Hunters!"

This made Fox's heart beat faster. He had never heard of that term before. He never wanted to know what a Hunter was.

A man with a rocket on his shoulder pushed Fox aside to get by. He ran to the front of the fight and took a knee. The ODST raised the rocket to his shoulder. Another man came from behind him and began to load the powerful 102mm rocket into the rear of the gun. Bullets and bolts were flying past them, but they both operated calmly.

When the ODST in the rear had finished, he gave a hard pat on the gunner's free shoulder. Without looking behind him, the gunner nodded. The loading ODST leaned back, while the gunner fired.

The recoil shocked the man. The rocket raced toward its target. Fox never got to see it hit. All he heard was a deep yell. It made his heart pound even harder, like it wanted out. Fox didn't expect the man to fire again, but he did.

The rocket was more like a deep thump when it hit something. The fact that the soldier had to fire again scared Fox even greater. He started to sweat. The fact that you needed a rocket to kill it made the target tough enough. The man had to fire again, and it made Fox wonder, "_I hope he missed the first time. I don't want to come up against something where a rocket is not enough to take it out._"

"Target down! Target down! Let's move!"

The air was now filled with fire, "More Covenant Infantry twelve o'clock!"

Johnson made the call, "We don't got the ammo! Fall back!"

Fox didn't have a weapon. Except for the pistol that still clung to his holster. He rolled it out into his free paw. It was all he had now, and for that matter he only had one additional mag for it.

"Take 'em out!"

"Where's our air support!?!"

"We're surrounded!"

Fox fell back into the Pelican dropship. One by one each of his men were being dropped and shouting in agony and misery. They were all being killed. They were all dieing. The vulpine placed the smaller vixen down on the floor of the dropship.

Fox got onto the machine gun that still sat in the troop bay, "Don't worry. I got ya."

The three barrels of the gun began to rotate. Before long they were up to speed and a hell of powerful armor piercing rounds was unleashed. The shells ripped Jackal's shields in half as they tried to cover themselves and the others behind them. A Grunt armed a grenade, but Fox took it out before it could leave his hand. The explosive fell and took out the rest of the Grunts in Fox's sight.

The vulpine's teeth rattled as the weapon chattered. He watched as the last of the belt fed into the machinegun. The deathly rattled turned into a horrifying click as the gun ran out of ammo.

The red vulpine threw the vixen over his shoulder. As he spun around the corner of the Pelican a giant stood before him. Fox bared his teeth. He had nowhere to go, no where to run. The other survivors were all engaged in their own fights. Fox took one step backwards before raising the M6D pistol and shooting.

The enemy soldier was way taller then Fox. The Hunter put its shield to its front and blocked the shots. The slugs ricochet off it in every direction. It wasn't doing any damage. Fox stepped back more, "Could use a little help over here!"

"Hunter!"

"Aw man!"

The vulpine heard the groaning of an engine, then a horn, then the rattling sound of the M41 machinegun. The Hunter that was standing in front of him moments ago dropped as bumper dug into its back and pounded the machinelike creature to the ground.

The Warthog spun around. The Spartan looked at him, "Get in."

Fox nodded and threw Krystal into the seat. Fox himself kneeled at the floor boards of the LRV, "We need to get her out of here."

The driver nodded. The Chief stepped on the pedal and the hog lurched forward.

Fox fastened the seatbelt around Krystal, "There is too many of them. We have to turn back. She needs medical assistance."

"Our air patrol touched down just up the hill. We'll see what we can do."

Plasma shots splashed off the side of the LRV. They were only to be returned with a fire off hell from the chain gun in the rear, "What about the others?" Fox asked.

"They'll be fine."

Fox nodded. The super soldier seemed to know what he was talking about. Fox couldn't stop gazing at the man. He had never seen his face and never actually seen him in real combat, but he appeared to be an idol of some type for others of his own kind. Just like he was.

"…Fox…"

"Krystal!"

She spoke wearily with her eye's half open and fluttering to consciousness, "…Ugh…"

"What's wrong!?! Where does it hurt?!?"

"My head, it… it hurts so much," she looked upon him, helplessly. Krystal passed again.

"Krystal! Hold on! We're almost there!"

The Warthog spun around the corner and stopped. In a small clearing where the crafts had been grounded. Both the plentiful Hornets and the remaining few Pelicans were stuck to the ground because of anti-air fire that had brought down the ship he was riding in. The other passenger style Warthog greeted them.

"More wounded at the site. They need ammo," said the Spartan.

A man driving the other Warthog nodded. He was a Marine, "Roger that, we're on it."

The female Marine in the passenger seat agreed, "Don't worry Chief! Leave it to us!" with that they drove off heading to were Fox and Krystal had just come from.

The Spartan dropped them off. Fox leaped out and took out the vixen. He carried her out of the hog. The rest of the company had already set up defensive positions.

"Hey!" said a Cornerian dog, "Bring her over here!"

The Captain obeyed and laid the blue fox down on a cot, "I don't what is wrong with her. Before she was out she had a bad headache."

"Any other injuries?" the dog checked over her.

"Nah, I don't think so. But I don't completely know."

"…Fox…?"

"Yes Krys. It's me. I'm here," he knelt beside her and put his paw on her head.

"Oh, it hurts so badly. Help me… please."

Fox felt helpless. There was really nothing her could do for her. It made his stomach sick. He was useless.

The medic reached into a pocket and retrieved a syringe, "We'll give her some morphine," he flicked the needle, "Hold on. This will only take a second."

The vixen freaked, "Get that away from me!"

"Krys, it's ok. He knows what he's doing. Just let him do his thing, you'll feel much better"

Krytstal rolled out from the cot and fell to her knees, "Get away!" she began to cry out. Tears of pain rolled down her face, "It hurts!"

Fox knelt down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her head and held her tight to his chest, "Shh, breathe Krystal, breathe. It's ok."

The medic looked at him and hesitated. Fox nodded to him, and gave him the go ahead. The dog returned the gesture. He put his paw on the vixens arm and injected the needle.

She screamed as if it were a lifetime fear of hers, "Fox! It hurts so much! My head!"

He held her tighter and rubbed her back, "It's gonna be ok. You're gonna be fine," Fox's heart was racing. He had never seen Krystal in so much pain. He was worried sick.

She cried in his arms. Her mind sang out in pain.

"Shh," Fox tried to sooth her. He didn't know if her head still hurt, but she was calming. Fox thought she was feeling better until she started struggling to get away. Krystal pushed him off of her and stared to run. Both her paws covered her head. She fell to the ground once more. She spun around and looked at Fox. She started to crawl on her back as if she was afraid of the friendly figure looming above her.

Fox tried to calm her again, "Krystal its ok. I'm here. You are safe. Nothing is going to happen. Calm down."

The vixen looked up at him. Something in her eyes changed. She bared her fangs. Her voice was sinister. There were still some of her voice in it but there was something else, something much more. It was deep and mythical. Krystal looked angry with him and it was like another being controlled her body, "You. You are not what the prophecy had foretold."

Fox took a step back in fear. Others started to look. Almost everyone stared at Krystal.

She looked up at all of them and grinned evilly, "Perhaps you are just a byproduct. Simply a waste from what was left of the Forerunner entity."

The red fox swallowed hard, "Krystal?"

"No matter," said Krystal, "All, all of you will be nothing but fuel. You will be the ones to feed the unstoppable race that is my army. You all will be nothing but food!!!" Krystal reached up and grabbed to M6D pistol out of Fox's holster. She held it to his head.

The mechanics of weapons worked as Marines and Cornerians raised their weapon's to the vixen. Fox stopped them, "Wait! Don't shot her!" Fox showed no fear. He was almost staring down the barrel of the gun, "Krystal, it's me, Fox McCloud."

She growled at him and placed her finger on the trigger.

"Krystal. Look at me. Put the gun down. You a member of team Star Fox, my team."

"McCloud! Make a call man!"

"I don't know if she can hear me," he turned back to Krystal. The barrel of the pistol was still in his face.

"Get away from me!" the voice was once again Krystal's but she was confused and frightened.

"Think about what you're doing Krystal. Calm down. There is nothing wrong now. We're all ok. The fight is over there. You are safe with me."

The Spartan had been watching for quite sometime. He had to deal with something like this once. It was a frightened Marine whose comrades were all consumed by the Flood. He was the only survivor of his team. He had seen real hell. But this thing that consumed her. It was so familiar. It was like he had met it before.

The Chief spoke inside his helmet, "Cortana, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"The Gravemind? Hmm… perhaps. But there is no way it could have been released. I can assure you that the Flood is still trapped within this ring. But it makes no sense. It took over her body. I've never seen that… well not without the victim already being infected."

"If it is the Flood," finished the Chief.

"Of course. But it still doesn't add up. How did it contact her like that? I know the Flood are all interconnected like that. They all have similar mind patterns and can communicate with the Gravemind telekinetically."

"Unless she posses a similar power."

"Hmm, I never took that into consideration… wait. Warning. Chief, her heart level is on the rise. Likely hood of the Captain being shot, sixty-one point four persent and rise…"

With lightning speed the Spartan lunged forward. He grabbed the paw of the vixen and turned the weapon to himself instead of Fox.

"No!" shouted the vulpine.

The Spartan looked at her through his reflective visor, "I'd suggest you save your ammo."

"No!" the vixen struggle to regain control of the pistol. But it was being held tight with a godlike power. No matter how much she struggled it didn't budge. She looked back into the man with fear. All she could see was herself in the gold-ish tinted visor and it spooked her even more, "Get away from me you monster!" She fired the weapon.

The M6D kicked her wrist. A slug burst out from the barrel. It hit the Chief dead in the chest.

"No!" Fox shouted again, "Krystal!"

To the red fox's greatest amazement, the soldier still stood. The Spartan was completely unfazed but the shell. His body was covered with glowing watery and electric-like element. It washed over him and went away. It was very similar to what the Elites used, if not the same thing. It was a shield of some sort.

The washing of the shield went away. The man still held the gun tight. His suite was undamaged, "That's enough."

"No…" she whispered. Fox had only left a few round left in the pistol from the useless shots at the Hunter. The Spartan somehow knew that.

Fox watched again as a ring of electricity circled the super soldier. It recharged his shield but Fox didn't know that.

Krystal fired the weapon three more times. Each time was the same effect. The slugs didn't even make a mark. As the last shell left the barrel the clip ejected from the bottom and the receiver was left wide open. The gun was empty. The Spartan lifted the weapon straight up. The blue fox held onto the weapon for a moment and as her feet left the ground.

Krystal fell straight onto her tail and began to cry. She huddled herself up into a little ball and made her body as small as possible. Tears rolled down her face, "Please! Don't hurt me! Leave me alone! Just go away!"

The Spartan spun the pistol in his hand and gave it back to the fox butt first, "She's your responsibility now."

Fox took back the empty gun and placed it into his holster. He took a knee beside the crying vixen, "…Krystal…"

She just kept crying.

"Krys, stop crying," he put a paw on her shoulder. He brushed her hair back, "Take it easy."

Her breath was shuddering. She turned her head up to the vulpine, "…Fox…?" the little fox was trembling.

Fox picked her up and let her down on a cot. He covered her with a blanket and tucked it in, "Easy, try not to move too much. Where do you hurt?"

Her eyes were red, "I… think I'm ok. I don't think I'm hurt."

Fox let out a sigh of relief, "Thank god. I was worried sick."

"You were?"

"Of course I was. Do remember anything that happened?"

"No… all I can remember is having a huge headache in that ship. Then… I guess I just passed out. But I remember being in a Warthog, you were there. And then… being here, but nothing after that."

"So you were out before the ship crashed."

"What?!? The ship crashed?!?"

"Yeah, we got shot down and…"

"Are you hurt?" she tried to get up. She wanted to help. She grit her teeth and groaned as she paid for her quick movement.

Fox pushed her back down, "Easy, I'm fine. Get some rest. You really need it."

"Ok… I will. But tell me one thing."

"What?"

"What happened to me? Did I hurt anyone?"


	16. A Long Way Home

**Ch. 16: Anodyne**

0714 September 26, 2554 (Coalition Military Calandar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

The machineguns of the Hornet rattled as they locked onto each individual target. The missiles whizzed out of their pods and took out plasma cannons and turrets.

"This is Hornet Silhouette Twelve One. We got Banshees and Phantoms inbound. Orders?"

"We can't take them out yet!" said Master Sergeant Johnson, "We have land our troops. Hornets, concentrate your fire on the airborne threats. The rest of us are going in hot."

Fox grabbed onto a bar as the large dropship shuddered and rocked. All around the outside was the defining chatter of machineguns and small arms. He watched as the shore grew farther and farther away. Nothing was below him but blue water. Plasma bolts flashed past and disappeared in the distance.

A hound tightened his helmet and armed the machinegun on the rear troop bay of the Pelican.

The pilot looked back to all the soldiers in the carrying bay, "All right everyone! We're going in hot! Get ready for a One-Eighty turn! We'll drop you off and provide cover from above! Ready! Three, two, one!"

The Pelican spun around. The hound on the machinegun let the fire loose, "I'll cover! Go!"

Fox jumped out of his seat. His rifle kicked as he tried to lock it onto targets and run at the same time. Krystal fallowed close behind.

A loud explosion sent Fox flying forward. The Pelican flew over him and thrashed it's self onto the large balcony of the tower. It slid for a moment and stopped.

Fox ran forward to the ship. It was the only place for him to hide. There was no cover. He let the riffle fire as he ran. Everyone who was lucky enough to get off of the ship in time fallowed him. Fox jumped and slid across the metallic like surface of the balcony. The nose of the fallen dropship blocked all of the shots that were coming after him.

Krystal slammed her back into the hull of the Pelican to take cover, "You alright Fox?"

"Fine," he said with no concern and without looking at her.

The vulpine peeked around the corner and let his BR55 buck his shoulder. He put the scope onto the head of a target he had never seen before. It was like a huge hairy ape. Some wore elaborate headdress and armor. They were huge too. Each carried a pistol that had a sharp dual bayonet blade on the end.

Fox fired the rifle and a Brute bled out from the head. He loaded in another clip and spun around the nose of the ship. He pressed the trigger and the rounds ripped though the armor. He pulled a pin on a grenade and tossed it in, "Hey! Here! Catch!" the frag bounced once and a half a second later it exploded. Three Grunts tried to jump back but they were all too late. The M9 frag ripped through their methane tanks and they all suffocated.

Fox ducked back into cover once more to reload. He let the old mag fall to the metallic surface and he slid a new one in. The ammo indicator read a full 36 again. Fox stuck the barrel of the weapon around the corner of the pelican. He fired once more and an enemy round hit the butt of his Battle Rifle.

He rolled back around the corner in fear. He sat down and pulled the rifle away from him. Krystal watched as the he pulled a huge spike out of the butt if the rifle. It stuck clean through the rifle and slightly into his chest. The tip of the spike had a spot of blood on it.

"Oh my gosh! Fox!"

"It's ok. It's just a flash wound," Fox pulled the spike out of the rifle and held it in one paw. The size of it was amazing. It easily had the diameter of a fifty caliber casing, even more, and it was longer in length then his pistol was.

A Lynx was watching as Fox fumbled with it in his paw, "Whoa."

"This, is what their firing at us?" the red vulpine said in awe.

A Brute rounded the corner of the dropship. His raised his pistol-like weapon to the Coalition troops. Fox raised his gun, but before he shot, he heard a slit through the atmosphere. Then a line appeared in the air as head of the Brute was knocked in. The huge ape-like creature shouted in pain and flipped to the floor.

Fox looked to the rocky cliffs that were so far away. Every now and then there was a tracer that appeared. As they did, a Covenant soldier would drop dead.

Fox sighed in relief, "We've got sniper support."

Krystal ducked as a man jumped over the top of the Pelican and landed just beyond her on their side, "It's you," she said.

Spartan 117 nodded. He turned to Fox, "Captain."

Fox returned the gesture, "Chief."

"Sir, what is your status?"

Fox looked around all the men and women around him. He hadn't realized it, but he was in charge of them now. He was calling the shots, "Almost out of ammo. A few wounded and out."

"Understood, we need to take this base. If we don't the Covenant could use it."

Fox threw away the crippled BR55. Many on the mechanics were placed in the butt of the gun. And they had been mangled. Just as he was about to pull out his pistol, the Spartan threw him a gun. Fox caught the MA5C in midair.

In the Spartan's hands now was a large weapon of some kind. It looked similar to the rocket launcher but it obviously was not. It was rest over his shoulder. The Spartan jumped on top of the fallen Pelican.

Fox couldn't help but watch. The weapon on the man's shoulder began to glow. A lazar pointer appeared from the front of the weapon. A moment later a loud thrash came from the weapon. A yellow-orange beam of light erupted from the front of the gun. Fox couldn't see it impact but it looked dangerous enough. But, it seemed like something the Covenant would develop rather then the UNSC.

A whistling sound came from behind them. Three Hornets hovered in support. Missiles burst from their chambers and the gun's rattled. All of the Covenant fire was directed toward them.

"Now! Go!" Fox ordered. He rolled out from around the corner. He flipped the safety off and the 5C began to snap. It was a lot quieter then any he had ever fired. But it obviously didn't pack the punch that a BR55 or some of the other guns did. But, it would work.

"Three, right," said the Chief.

Krystal looked, raised her weapon to her shoulder and fired. All of them dropped almost instantly. The area was filled with dead bodies, both Coalition and Covenant. It was getting quiet now. Every now and then there was a burst from a rifle or the flash of a Covenant firearm.

Krystal slung her firearm around her shoulder and wielded her M6 pistol. As she walked past the body of a Brute, her mind detected its thought waves. Without even looking at what she was pointing at she fired twice. The body flinched only a moment and Krystal could then detect that it was dead.

A Grunt got up and in a panic. It ran straight toward Fox. The red vulpine ripped the methane mask off on its face. The fox then pushed it to the floor on the base. With a boot on the neck and the creature struggling, he held the 5C to its head with on paw. He let it snap. He kicked the Grunt out of his way and continued toward the huge blast doors that separated him from the inside.

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"We're good," said Fox.

With that everyone let the points of their weapons drop. Orders were shouted out and they began to collect the dead and heal the wounded.

"Fox, are you ok?"

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine Krys. Why?"

"Well," she paused, "Look at your chest."

Fox looked down in toward his chest in question. He saw his jump suit form a large red patch. He touched it lightly. His blood rubbed off on his glove, "I guess it did more damage then I thought," Fox put his back up to a wall and slowly slid down. He rest the gun upright, leaning on the wall beside him.

"Here," the vixen leaned down in front on him, "Take off your shirt."

"What?!"

"Just do it."

Fox hesitated for a moment longer, "Fine," he pulled off his silver vest and the top half of his jumpsuit. He pilled them beside him. He then took off his chest holster. He put it down on top of his clothes.

"What's this?" Krystal asked with a smile. She picked up the holster that was wrapped around Fox's chest.

"Oh, that's nothing."

She carefully pulled the weapon out, "Yes it is. Fox, this is _your _Blaster."

"Well… not exactly. I…"

"Yes it is. You that were supposed to give it back."

"Well I was just thinking well uhh… you know if I ever do need it and… if there is… err. I was just thinking…"

"Go on," she smiled.

"If I ever need it or get in a jam. You know, I have it."

"Yes Fox. If you say so."

Fox looked back down at his chest. His fur was damp in sticky blood. He touched the wound. It didn't hurt. In fact he could barely even feel it. It was just bleeding a lot.

The blue vixen pressed a damp cloth to chest. The coolness of it made Fox jump. She giggled, "Relax. This will make it better. Just give me a moment."

"If you say so."

"I just need to clean it up a little. Try not to move to much Fox," she returned serious again and rubbed the rag over his chest to lap up the blood. Krystal looked at the wound. It's small. It's just bleeding a lot."

"Ok."

The blue vixen pulled away the cloth and pulled out a bandage from the small medical kit. Her paws were red with the fox's blood but she didn't care. With her paw on his chest she pushed down. She gave the wound pressure, "Does it hurt?"

"It's not too bad."

"Good."

Fox looked at what was behind Krystal and it wasn't different from what he used to seeing. Dead bodies being collected and covered. Men and women UNSC and Lylatian troops alike were crying out in pain as they were patched up or helped.

Krystal read his mind, "You know, when you took me home from Krazoa Palace, you took care of me and kept me safe. Now, I'm returning the favor," Krystal kept in eye contact with Fox. She pulled the pistol out of her holster.

Fox's hair stood on end, "What are you doing?!"

"Relax," she held it with one paw and shot it three times. A Brute body jumped and died. The empty magazine fell out and she slid a new one in. She did it all without losing a moment of eye contact with Fox.

The hair on the back of his neck calmed, "Nice."

She placed the M6D back into the holster around her thigh. She let go of the bandage and pulled Fox's muzzle closer to hers, "I love you Fox. I will always be here for you. I will keep you safe."

Fox nodded and whispered, "I know you do. I know you will. I love you too."

She whispered back, "I'm sorry for what I put you through. I'm sorry for leaving you," a tear burned at her eye.

"That's ok. It was my fault."

Krystal pulled her muzzle closer to his and they shared a kiss.

"I'm so sorry Fox."

* * *

A/N: Hey whats up guys. I really appreciate the feedback and reviews. Keep it up. If you have any ideas for this story, complaints, and uhh... anything else, don't hesitate to message me. I'm always open for it.

Thank you all for reading.


	17. Anodyne

**Ch. 16: ****Anodyne**

0714 September 26, 2554 (Coalition Military Calandar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

The machineguns of the Hornet rattled as they locked onto each individual target. The missiles whizzed out of their pods and took out plasma cannons and turrets.

"This is Hornet Silhouette Twelve One. We got Banshees and Phantoms inbound. Orders?"

"We can't take them out yet!" said Master Sergeant Johnson, "We have land our troops. Hornets, concentrate your fire on the airborne threats. The rest of us are going in hot."

Fox grabbed onto a bar as the large dropship shuddered and rocked. All around the outside was the defining chatter of machineguns and small arms. He watched as the shore grew farther and farther away. Nothing was below him but blue water. Plasma bolts flashed past and disappeared in the distance.

A hound tightened his helmet and armed the machinegun on the rear troop bay of the Pelican.

The pilot looked back to all the soldiers in the carrying bay, "All right everyone! We're going in hot! Get ready for a One-Eighty turn! We'll drop you off and provide cover from above! Ready! Three, two, one!"

The Pelican spun around. The hound on the machinegun let the fire loose, "I'll cover! Go!"

Fox jumped out of his seat. His rifle kicked as he tried to lock it onto targets and run at the same time. Krystal fallowed close behind.

A loud explosion sent Fox flying forward. The Pelican flew over him and thrashed it's self onto the large balcony of the tower. It slid for a moment and stopped.

Fox ran forward to the ship. It was the only place for him to hide. There was no cover. He let the riffle fire as he ran. Everyone who was lucky enough to get off of the ship in time fallowed him. Fox jumped and slid across the metallic like surface of the balcony. The nose of the fallen dropship blocked all of the shots that were coming after him.

Krystal slammed her back into the hull of the Pelican to take cover, "You alright Fox?"

"Fine," he said with no concern and without looking at her.

The vulpine peeked around the corner and let his BR55 buck his shoulder. He put the scope onto the head of a target he had never seen before. It was like a huge hairy ape. Some wore elaborate headdress and armor. They were huge too. Each carried a pistol that had a sharp dual bayonet blade on the end.

Fox fired the rifle and a Brute bled out from the head. He loaded in another clip and spun around the nose of the ship. He pressed the trigger and the rounds ripped though the armor. He pulled a pin on a grenade and tossed it in, "Hey! Here! Catch!" the frag bounced once and a half a second later it exploded. Three Grunts tried to jump back but they were all too late. The M9 frag ripped through their methane tanks and they all suffocated.

Fox ducked back into cover once more to reload. He let the old mag fall to the metallic surface and he slid a new one in. The ammo indicator read a full 36 again. Fox stuck the barrel of the weapon around the corner of the pelican. He fired once more and an enemy round hit the butt of his Battle Rifle.

He rolled back around the corner in fear. He sat down and pulled the rifle away from him. Krystal watched as the he pulled a huge spike out of the butt if the rifle. It stuck clean through the rifle and slightly into his chest. The tip of the spike had a spot of blood on it.

"Oh my gosh! Fox!"

"It's ok. It's just a flash wound," Fox pulled the spike out of the rifle and held it in one paw. The size of it was amazing. It easily had the diameter of a fifty caliber casing, even more, and it was longer in length then his pistol was.

A Lynx was watching as Fox fumbled with it in his paw, "Whoa."

"This, is what their firing at us?" the red vulpine said in awe.

A Brute rounded the corner of the dropship. His raised his pistol-like weapon to the Coalition troops. Fox raised his gun, but before he shot, he heard a slit through the atmosphere. Then a line appeared in the air as head of the Brute was knocked in. The huge ape-like creature shouted in pain and flipped to the floor.

Fox looked to the rocky cliffs that were so far away. Every now and then there was a tracer that appeared. As they did, a Covenant soldier would drop dead.

Fox sighed in relief, "We've got sniper support."

Krystal ducked as a man jumped over the top of the Pelican and landed just beyond her on their side, "It's you," she said.

Spartan 117 nodded. He turned to Fox, "Captain."

Fox returned the gesture, "Chief."

"Sir, what is your status?"

Fox looked around all the men and women around him. He hadn't realized it, but he was in charge of them now. He was calling the shots, "Almost out of ammo. A few wounded and out."

"Understood, we need to take this base. If we don't the Covenant could use it."

Fox threw away the crippled BR55. Many on the mechanics were placed in the butt of the gun. And they had been mangled. Just as he was about to pull out his pistol, the Spartan threw him a gun. Fox caught the MA5C in midair.

In the Spartan's hands now was a large weapon of some kind. It looked similar to the rocket launcher but it obviously was not. It was rest over his shoulder. The Spartan jumped on top of the fallen Pelican.

Fox couldn't help but watch. The weapon on the man's shoulder began to glow. A lazar pointer appeared from the front of the weapon. A moment later a loud thrash came from the weapon. A yellow-orange beam of light erupted from the front of the gun. Fox couldn't see it impact but it looked dangerous enough. But, it seemed like something the Covenant would develop rather then the UNSC.

A whistling sound came from behind them. Three Hornets hovered in support. Missiles burst from their chambers and the gun's rattled. All of the Covenant fire was directed toward them.

"Now! Go!" Fox ordered. He rolled out from around the corner. He flipped the safety off and the 5C began to snap. It was a lot quieter then any he had ever fired. But it obviously didn't pack the punch that a BR55 or some of the other guns did. But, it would work.

"Three, right," said the Chief.

Krystal looked, raised her weapon to her shoulder and fired. All of them dropped almost instantly. The area was filled with dead bodies, both Coalition and Covenant. It was getting quiet now. Every now and then there was a burst from a rifle or the flash of a Covenant firearm.

Krystal slung her firearm around her shoulder and wielded her M6 pistol. As she walked past the body of a Brute, her mind detected its thought waves. Without even looking at what she was pointing at she fired twice. The body flinched only a moment and Krystal could then detect that it was dead.

A Grunt got up and in a panic. It ran straight toward Fox. The red vulpine ripped the methane mask off on its face. The fox then pushed it to the floor on the base. With a boot on the neck and the creature struggling, he held the 5C to its head with on paw. He let it snap. He kicked the Grunt out of his way and continued toward the huge blast doors that separated him from the inside.

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"We're good," said Fox.

With that everyone let the points of their weapons drop. Orders were shouted out and they began to collect the dead and heal the wounded.

"Fox, are you ok?"

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine Krys. Why?"

"Well," she paused, "Look at your chest."

Fox looked down in toward his chest in question. He saw his jump suit form a large red patch. He touched it lightly. His blood rubbed off on his glove, "I guess it did more damage then I thought," Fox put his back up to a wall and slowly slid down. He rest the gun upright, leaning on the wall beside him.

"Here," the vixen leaned down in front on him, "Take off your shirt."

"What?!?"

"Just do it."

Fox hesitated for a moment longer, "Fine," he pulled off his silver vest and the top half of his jumpsuit. He pilled them beside him. He then took off his chest holster. He put it down on top of his clothes.

"What's this?" Krystal asked with a smile. She picked up the holster that was wrapped around Fox's chest.

"Oh, that's nothing."

She carefully pulled the weapon out, "Yes it is. Fox, this is _your _Blaster."

"Well… not exactly. I…"

"Yes it is. You that were supposed to give it back."

"Well I was just thinking well uhh… you know if I ever do need it and… if there is… err. I was just thinking…"

"Go on," she smiled.

"If I ever need it or get in a jam. You know, I have it."

"Yes Fox. If you say so."

Fox looked back down at his chest. His fur was damp in sticky blood. He touched the wound. It didn't hurt. In fact he could barely even feel it. It was just bleeding a lot.

The blue vixen pressed a damp cloth to chest. The coolness of it made Fox jump. She giggled, "Relax. This will make it better. Just give me a moment."

"If you say so."

"I just need to clean it up a little. Try not to move to much Fox," she returned serious again and rubbed the rag over his chest to lap up the blood. Krystal looked at the wound. It's small. It's just bleeding a lot."

"Ok."

The blue vixen pulled away the cloth and pulled out a bandage from the small medical kit. Her paws were red with the fox's blood but she didn't care. With her paw on his chest she pushed down. She gave the wound pressure, "Does it hurt?"

"It's not too bad."

"Good."

Fox looked at what was behind Krystal and it wasn't different from what he used to seeing. Dead bodies being collected and covered. Men and women UNSC and Lylatian troops alike were crying out in pain as they were patched up or helped.

Krystal read his mind, "You know, when you took me home from Krazoa Palace, you took care of me and kept me safe. Now, I'm returning the favor," Krystal kept in eye contact with Fox. She pulled the pistol out of her holster.

Fox's hair stood on end, "What are you doing?!?"

"Relax," she held it with one paw and shot it three times. A Brute body jumped and died. The empty magazine fell out and she slid a new one in. She did it all without losing a moment of eye contact with Fox.

The hair on the back of his neck calmed, "Nice."

She placed the M6D back into the holster around her thigh. She let go of the bandage and pulled Fox's muzzle closer to hers, "I love you Fox. I will always be here for you. I will keep you safe."

Fox nodded and whispered, "I know you do. I know you will. I love you too."

She whispered back, "I'm sorry for what I put you through. I'm sorry for leaving you," a tear burned at her eye.

"That's ok. It was my fault."

Krystal pulled her muzzle closer to his and they shared a kiss.

"I'm so sorry Fox."

* * *

A/N: Hey whats up guys. I really appreciate the feedback and reviews. Keep it up. If you have any ideas for this story, complaints, and uhh... anything else, don't hesitate to message me. I'm always open for it.

Thank you all for reading.

Keep it Open,

DarqFox


	18. The Great Journey

**Ch. 18: The Great Journey**

0954 September 26, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Wake up!" Falco overturned Slippy's cot and the toad fell to the hard floor of the base.

"What?" he rubbed his eyes and said wearily.

"We're moving out. Everyone is moving out."

"What? What do you mean?"

The avian shook his head, "I mean Foxxie did it."

Slippy got up from the floor and stepped outside. He looked around. When he had gone to sleep the past night, the area was basically barren. Now Command Post Alpha was humming in life. He counted six Scorpion class battle tanks and dozens of Warthogs and a different kind of recon vehicles that he had never spotted before.

Slippy turned back to Falco, "What's going on?"

Sergeant Kaplan tapped at a small PDA in his paw, "What you see here is the whole Coalition Force. Lylatian and UNSC alike are both working together and both with one common goal. To get the hell off this ring," he stopped talking and looked forward, "Sir," the wolf didn't salute.

"You have done well Sergeant," the old hound approached the team. It was Commander Keeding.

"Thank you Sir," said the wolf, "I could never have done it alone. A lot of the thank you goes to Starfox."

Keeding nodded and looked at the toad and falcon, "Hmm, yes I see. And where is Mister Fox McCloud? I heard confirmed reports of his death. The death of a Captain in the field is serious business you know."

"Yes Sir," replied the Cornerian Sergeant, "I understand. The death of a Commander would also be bad news. I recommend we talk inside."

"That's not necessary Sergeant."

"Sir I… uhh yes Sir."

"So Sergeant? Is he indeed dead?"

"Sir, no Sir. He is alive and holding The Control Room. They are awaiting our arrival."

"Commander!" a UNSC man in a jumpsuit shouted.

The dog turned his head to him, "Yes?"

"What are your final counts? Is everyone ready to move out?"

Keeding nodded, "All of my troops are here."

The UNSC man in the jumpsuit nodded and walked away.

"Very good," the Commander scratched his chin.

Falco looked up into the horizon. What he saw astonished him. The air filled with small black dots in the sky, "I think we got company."

Sergeant Kaplan turned to see what the bird was looking at, "Nah, that's our Air Force."

As they drew closer Falco could pick out the shapes of the Pelican's that he had once seen. There were also a lot of smaller ones and larger ones.

"What are those? I've seen the Pelicans, but those other ones?"

An ODST walked by, "They are Hornets and Longswords," the trooper threw his rucksack over his back and onto his shoulders. He started to walk toward the rest of his squad.

"I guess the Longswords are the UNSC's fighters I'm not sure about the Hornets though. They'll be taking out any Triple 'A' positions for you."

Falco nodded, "Yeah, sweet and… what? For us? What about you?"

The wolf let the SA2 fall from his shoulder and into his other paw, "I'm not going anywhere. Not until I fond out what happened to Alpha."

"That's very noble of you Sergeant but…" Keeding was cutoff by the wolf.

"I'm staying here."

The hound angled his head, "You are disobeying direct orders Sergeant. I am ordering you to get on that bird. Am I understood?"

"Sir, no Sir."

The old hound drew closer to the wolf to make himself look bigger, "That is insubordination. Courts would have you jailed for that Sergeant."

Though the hound was big, he was in no size comparable to the wolf, "Do you see any court here? If I survive this whole ordeal then go ahead, charge me. But until then I am leaving no one behind."

"You will get on that bird Sergeant!"

The wolf pulled back the action of the SA2, "No. I won't."

The Commander stared him down for a moment longer. Then he gave up, "Fine but don't think for one moment that you will be getting my help, or any others help. We need all the men we can get to the Control Room. And, never call me for help," the hound stepped closer, "cause you won't get it," with that the Commander walked away.

Slippy and Falco could only watch. The bird turned to the toad, "I guess we're leaving."

Slippy nodded with wide eyes, "Yeah, I guess so."

The dots in the sky grew closer. The Pelicans and Hornets swooped in. The Longsword fighters flew quickly overtop of them.

Each Pelican landed near a vehicle. Each was latched onto the belly, including the massive Scorpion tanks.

* * *

X 

X

875 Units, (Covenant Military Calendar) Concealed Covenant Position, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"I am tired of these outrages!" Chieftain Brute Ricorus slammed his huge fist down on a small pedestal with the Scarab, "If the High Counsel knew of your cowardly retreats they would have your heads!"

"Calm, my brother. We will take the Control Room once more. The mighty Demon's mighty grasp has destroyed many rings. But it shall not harm another."

"What do you suggest we do then, oh mighty one?" asked Ricorus.

"We wait."

"But!" the Chieftain stuttered, "The Great Journey!?!"

"We, all of us, whether Grunt, Elite, Jackal, Hunter or Brute are all guaranteed a place in the Great Journey. Along the path. The path that will lead us to our salvation."

"And what of the Sacred Icon?" Ricorus inquired.

"Hmm, we shall await in the shadows. When the Humans or the Lylatians find it, we will take it and use it ourselves."

"We will crush them," the Brute agreed.

"You, Ricorus, a seasoned Chieftain of the Brutes are the Covenant's path to salvation. I am leaving the responsibility of the Icon to you."

The Chieftain removed his valiant headdress and bowed, "You need not worry oh holy one. My faith keeps me strong."

"I see. You are dismissed Ricorus. The path to our salvation lies in your hands."

The Brute replaced his headdress and stepped back making careful notice not to show his back.

"Ah, and Ricorus."

"Yes, your holiness?"

"The Great Journey has been delayed for too long. It is your privilege to be the one that will finally take us. And remember, to activate the holly ring, you must take at least one of them. Alive."

"Fear not. I will succeed. The Great Journey has begun," with that said, the Brute walked out of the heavily armored chamber of the Scarab.

"Yaani."

An Elite in luxurious silver armor stepped forward, "Yes, oh holy one?"

"This business of the mighty Demon…"

"You want me to go after him?" Yaani predicted.

"I will allow you all the assets that you may require. The Demon is single handedly responsible for tens of thousands of Covenant deaths. I am tired of it. You will take his life."

The Elite nodded, "Say no more. His blood will spill."

"Indeed. I will succeed where my holy brothers have failed."


	19. Homesick

**Ch. 19: Homesick**

1756 September 26, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

Fox rubbed the barrel of his Battle Rifle. A small amount of black and brown residue came off on his cloth. He placed the white cloth back to the inside pocket of his vest and looked out over the large lake, back to the land from which he had come. He let his gaze fall down to his dangling legs. Below his boots where thrashing waves and deep blue-green water, a long ways down.

The vulpine sighed. He thought about how far away he was from home. He thought about how far away he was from Corneria. And if the Covenant had found Corneria… if Corneria still existed. If Peppy was still alive. If Bill was still alive.

"Captain."

Fox spun around at the call of his rank. He recognized the man. It was one of the few that had a darker skin. He wore the same uniform as everyone else except for the army cap that made him unique.

"What can I do for you…" Fox tried to recall his name, "Johnson?"

The man smiled and took a seat on the very edge of the huge platform beside the fox, "Nothing, I just wanted to get to know you Lylatians a little better. And you look like the one to talk to, if you don't mind Captain."

Fox gave a quick nod and looked out back over the lake, "Not much to know. We're in the same war as you."

"Yeah, I got that part. Just… we're did you come from? Where are… how… I don't know," the man took another drag of the cigar that always seemed to be in his mouth.

"Well," Fox paused before going on, "I'm from the Lylat System and a planet called Corneria. There's not much more to know. The Covenant attacked on of our ships and it just escalated from there."

"What about the Warthogs and the weapons? How did you get your grubby little paws on those?"

"I don't know the whole story behind that. I heard that we intercepted one of your damaged vessels and scavenged it for weapons and parts. We thought that you were all dead."

"It'll be a cold day in hell when I finally decide to kick the bucket," the Sergeant chuckled.

It was quiet a moment longer. The vulpine broke the silence, "I have a couple questions for you."

"Yeah? Shoot?"

"What is a Spartan?"

Master Sergeant Johnson looked over his shoulder, "The man you seen there is the last of his kind. There were about sixty Spartans… more… I can't remember," the man took the cigar out of his mouth and motioned it toward the fox.

"No thank you," Fox looked up over his shoulder half startled at the voice, "Fox doesn't smoke," Krystal looked down and smiled at him knowing that he would not have accepted anyways.

"Ah," the Sergeant nodded, "so your mom is here keeping an eye on you," he paused a moment, "Very good."

The vixen sat down beside the red fox, "No. I'm his," she stopped a moment to search for the right word, trying not to embarrass him too much, "I'm his good friend."

Fox shook his head and smiled, "Uhh, a Spartan?"

"Ah yes," Johnson remembered, "In our culture, many hundreds of years ago, there were ancient warriors known as Spartans. They were… I guess you could use the word 'bred' to perfection."

"Bred?" Krystal asked, "What do you mean."

"In ancient Sparta, well what was Sparta before Earth was destroyed. They took children from their homes at a very young age to become soldiers. I don't know all the specs of the battle. But I think it was about, three hundred Spartan warriors took on thousands of enemy troops. Of course they didn't win but they put up one hell of a fight and killed hundreds of their enemy's soldiers."

"That was back then," confirmed Fox, "What does that make him?"

"That is a Spartan II. He rose to the rank of Petty Officer Master Chief ahead of his grade and became the commander of the Spartans.

"So there's more?" Fox asked.

"No," he took a drag of his cigar, "Well maybe, there could possibly be one more alive. But no one knows for sure. For now he is the last of his kind. John is single handedly responsible for hundreds of thousands of Covenant deaths. Even more."

"What did he do?" asked the vixen, "Destroy a ship?"

"The Chief has many Campaign Ribbons and Medals. He killed thousands with whatever he could carry on his back."

"And what about the armor?" Fox asked.

"That's what we call the Mark VII. If any of us were to put it on, it would immediately kill us."

"Why's that?"

"When the Chief was younger, they injected his body many different chemicals and substances. Some for increased bone mass, muscular build and a bunch of other stuff," the Master Sergeant chewed on his cigar.

Krystal shook her head and raised one eyebrow, "That doesn't explain the suit."

Johnson nodded, "That suit multiplies all of his movements by a great deal. It multiplies them so much that a regular person could break his arm by just bringing it from his side to his chest."

"That's amazing," remarked Fox.

"Yeah," said Johnson, "That makes him a Spartan."

"How does one become a Spartan?" Fox asked. Krystal gave him a strange look as he asked the question. She knew what he was thinking.

The Sergeant spat off the edge, "You can't. He was taken from his home at a very young age. For his whole life, he had done nothing but train for the military. Out of the many young that the UNSC had abducted, around half just died in training and experiments."

"They killed them in experiments?!?" Krystal jumped.

"Well, when they injected them with the chemicals to make them stronger, faster and smarter, they had side affects. Fatal side affects. Some Spartan's bones were deformed, others had brain damage and a few died."

"And one more thing," Krystal paused before going on, "He has something… or someone in his head. I can sense it. What is it?"

"That's the neural implant. A chip inside his head. But what I think your talking about is the Artificial Intelligence that he has been paired up with. The AI lives in the armor and in his head," answered the Master Sergeant.

"Interesting," Krystal looked at the Spartan across the balcony, "I would like the learn more about this Artificial Intelligence."

"Well," the Sergeant let the butt of the cigar fall of the edge of the balcony, down into the water below, "We call her Cortana. There's not really much to know. She's the smartest one here. She can do it all really."

"A Spartan…" Fox reminisced while looking at the large man. He looked more like a tank then a human. But what Fox wanted most was that armor for himself.

"Well," the Sergeant moved back from the edge and rose to his feet, "We're just about in."

"In?" Fox asked. Then he remembered the huge blast door of the Control Room, "Oh, yeah never mind."

"Yeah, stick around," the Sergeant walked off, "You'll wanna see this."

Fox was still looking at the Spartan. He was half dazed and out of it. He had so many more questions. He wanted so many more answers. If what the Sergeant had said was true, then when he and the Spartan had first met, he could have ripped him in two.

"Fox," Krystal said. She didn't get a reaction so she shouted at him, "Fox!"

The vulpine shook his head, "Huh? What?"

Krystal giggled, "You're in awe."

Fox was quiet a moment longer, "Maybe a little bit."

Krystal searched through his mind, "You want to be one. You want to be a Spartan."

"What?!? No! That's ridicules! I…" Fox trialed off, once again looking at the Spartan.

Krystal tried to get his mind off the Spartan. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Though Fox was getting pretty used to it by now, he still found himself embarrassed at times. Sometimes he would even glow red like he did right now.

He pushed her muzzle away and chucked, "Would you quit it?"

She smiled back, "Don't push around up here, it's very dangerous. Besides, I thought you would be used to it by now."

"Well it's not that I am… or not! No! I mean uhh…" a crooked smile covered his face and he bit his lip.

Krystal smiled at the thoughts going through his mind. She giggled again, "You know Fox, that boyish charm still shows in you a lot."

"Well, uhh thanks," Fox put his paw behind his head, "I think."

It was all quiet for a moment. Krystal slid closer to Fox, paying close attention not to fall off the edge, "Isn't it beautiful Fox? Isn't it a wonderful view?"

Fox didn't say anything for a moment. Then he nodded, "Yeah, it sure is Krystal."

"Where do you think Falco and Slippy are? Do you think there ok?"

"I think they're fine."

"What about Peppy?"

"Krystal." Fox knew she was getting worried.

"And Corneria? Do you think its ok? Do you think everyone there is still alive? What if the Covenant found it?"

"Krystal."

"The Great Fox? Is it ok? Is ROB ok?"

"Krystal!" Fox put his arm around her shoulder, "I can't tell you what's going to happen today. I can't tell you what's going to happen tomorrow. I can't tell you who is alright and who is not."

Krystal shuddered, "I know," she calmed, "I guess I just forget sometimes. Maybe I worry too much."

"Just keep your eyes open and stay alert. You'll be fine."

"Well what if I can't? What if I mess up?"

"You won't. I'll be here to make sure. If you do, I'll fix it," Fox paused for a moment; he thought back to his ship and how he was afraid, "You're starting to sound like me at the beginning, when we were back on the Great Fox."

Krystal sighed, "I miss the Great Fox."

"Feeling a little homesick?"

Krystal just nodded.

Fox did the same and turned back out to the horizon.

"I just don't feel well."

"It's ok Krystal," Fox's heart jumped, "Your head doesn't hurt, does it?"

"No, no, I'm fine right now. I don't know what came over me. It was like something had consumed my mind. It felt like it was trying to get in since… well you died. It's just my stomach doesn't feel good."

"I've just been doing a lot of thinking about it," Fox moved back form the edge and stood up. He grabbed his BR55 and slung it around his shoulder, "Krystal, I can't promise that well get through this, but as long as you're by my side, we can give them one hell of a fight."

Krystal smiled and looked up at him, "I feel safe when I'm around you  
Fox. You're still my hero. We're going to be ok Fox. Both of us."

Fox put out his paw. Krystal latched onto it and pulled herself up. She pulled herself right into the larger fox's arms. Fox held her tight back, "Krystal, if I let you die here. I would never be able to go on."

"That make's two of us."


	20. Echos to Come

**Ch. 20: Echos To Come**

251 Units, (Covenant Military Calendar) Concealed Covenant Position, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"It is our privilege to the few strong fighters that will finally spill the mighty Demon's blood. He has taken the lives of our fathers, and the lives of our sons," Yaani paced in front of the troops on the top of the Scarab. The silver Elite had little patients and little sympathy for mistakes made among his elite fighters. Many of them were composed of Elites and some of the higher ranking Grunts and the odd Jackal, but they were just bullet magnets more then anything.

Yaani went on, "By the blood of our forefathers. The Demon will live no more. It will be our… pleasure to feast upon his corpse."

A grunt of satisfaction went among the warriors.

"Now, board your Phantoms," said the lead silver Elite, "We shall…"

"Wait!"

Yaani spun around, "Yes oh, holy one?"

"You do not have permission to take flight. You do not yet have permission to kill this Demon, this… Master Chief."

Yaani tried to reason, "But your greatness? It is only a matter of time before…" he was cutoff with a simple hand gesture.

"You must be patient. We must wait until the humans find the Scared Icon. For it may only be in the hands of the Demon, that they will be able to recover it."

"And you left it in the hands of a Brute?" the Elite said forgetting to show respect.

"Ricorus is a seasoned warrior Yaani. He will succeed in capturing the Icon from the Humans or the Lylatians. It is not your responsibility!"

Yaani spoke in a deep voice of disgust, "It is by your desecration, your greatness."

"Hmm, but perhaps you can assist the Brute. From what our field scouts report, the Lylatians captured an Elite, of a low rank, but yet still. The troop is still being held as a slave and a prisoner. Perhaps, if you can find him, and free your troop, he can aid in the search."

Yaani slowly shook his head, "An Elite should never give into such humility. He should have fought to his very own death. Only Grunts are worthy of such abolishment."

"Never the less, it could payoff. You leave as an undercover scout in but 2000 units. And bring the Elite back alive."

* * *

X

X

0302 September 27, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Krystal!" she knew it was Falco. And she knew that they were going to be there too. She could sense Slippy's excitement. She knew that he was anxious to learn more about Halo and more about the Control Room.

She answered in a cheerful voice, "Falco! Slippy!"

It was dark out and the high commanders had decided that it wasn't a good idea to illuminate the whole outside of the base and the huge balcony. But ships were coming in one by one. Some would drop off troops and vehicles. But most of the vehicles remained attached to the aircraft. It wasn't like they could go far from where they were anyways.

The avian still had a rocket launcher securely fastened to his back.

Krystal smiled at him, "Getting a little heavy to carry around?"

"No! I'm a tough guy! Good to see you're ok."

"I've been trying to communicate with ROB. But nothing is working," said the toad.

Krystal bit her lip, "Fox had the same problem. We needed a Scorpion but he couldn't get a hold of him. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"They found the Great Fox," said Slippy.

Falco sighed, "Man, I miss the Arwing. I want one so bad!"

"I know how you feel," Slippy agreed, "They wouldn't have stood a chance. We should have just brought them in the first place."

"Better then walking," the avian said smugly.

Krystal nodded. She watched all the movement around them. Many were carrying ammo boxes and other supplies from place to place. Other's lugged machineguns or armfuls of other weapons, "Well you guys might want to check this out," said the blue fox. She led her team to the huge blast doors that were open. The whole inside of the Control was illuminated by both flood lights and some other kind of Covenant light.

"Whoa," Slippy said in awe.

They were walking down a massive hallway. It was filled with troops, each assigned to their tasks. On either side of them was a guardrail that protected them from a long fall into the depths of the ring. The hall was at least a half of a kilometer long and big enough to easily pilot aircraft in. Ahead was a smaller blast door. Krystal led them through it. It was a small room with some computers and screens in it.

"And this is the control room?" Slippy asked.

"No," answered the vixen. She walked farther ahead. Two smaller doors parted. On the other side was the exact same thing they saw before, tall ceilings and a drop. The hall was far from over but up ahead was another one of the small rooms that would eventually lead to end, to the very part that would control Halo.

"It's massive," said Falco.

"Yes," Krystal paused, "it is. I wonder how it works. I wonder where it gets its energy from. If it is what it's claimed to be that is. Fox said that he thinks that it's magical energy. I think I agree with him." she could tell Slippy was already thinking and searching for an answer.

"Speaking of the fox," hinted the avian.

"He was so tired," Krystal led them farther down the hall. After they went farther it branched into different areas after leading through the door, she led them up a ramp to the upstairs. In the small room were four cots. One was occupied.

"This is our room," Krystal went on, "Fox is really tired. He didn't get much sleep the past few nights. He was…" she was going to go on about her little breakdown that wasn't truly her fault but she stopped.

"About what?" Falco and Slippy asked at the exact same time.

"He's just been worrying a lot ok? Don't wake him please."

In one of the cots lay a sleeping Fox McCloud. His breath was soothing and calm. He had his legs crumpled up, instead of fully extended. On the metallic like floor underneath him was an SA2 and the M6D Magnum.

"Awe, ain't he sweet?" the bird said in a sarcastic voice.

"Please Falco," Krystal said, treating him like a child, "He has been very worried and stressed. He needs a good nights rest."

Falco thought it over for a moment. He loved to bug Fox and he loved to make him angry. He stepped closer to the vulpine's cot. The last thing he heard was "Falco Don't!" but he ignored it. He secured his wings under the edge of the cot and flipped it over. The bed flipped over and out came the fox. The vulpine flopped to the floor.

As Fox hit the floor the air rushed out of his chest, "Ouf!" he coughed and took a deep breath. His stomach felt empty. He rolled over and came to his knees. A moment later he stood up and shook his head. He rubbed his eyes, "Falco."

The avian smiled and gave the vulpine a pat on the back, "Who else would it be?"

"And me too!" Slippy budded in.

"You guys are ok!" the Fox said excitedly.

"Of course we are Fox," said Slippy, "We weren't the ones fighting the bad guys. All we had to do was wait. I gotta say, we were a little worried though… well I was anyways."

The avian knew he had been insulted, "Hey! I knew that you were going to be fine! I would have come with you but…"

"Falco," said the red fox, "You were the one that told me to…"

The bird put up his wing, "Never mind, you're both fine that's all that matters."

"So," said Slippy, "Is this it? Is this the end of Halo."

"Far from," said the blue fox.

"Yeah," Fox continued, "We are looking for that Index."

Krystal went on where Fox left off, "The key to Halo. Once we find that. Halo will truly be ours. Unless that is they find away to activate Halo without it."

"That's why we have to destroy it," finished the other fox, "So, no one can use it."

"But until then, we need to find the Index," the team all turned as the voice came from behind them at the top of the ramp that led to their room. It was the Spartan, "And Captain, I need your help."

The fox looked around as if he the Spartan was talking to someone else, "Me?"

Cortana continued, "You see, Captain McCloud, the Covenant themselves cannot activate Halo alone. The need help."

Fox raised on eyebrow, "What kind of help?"

The AI went on, "Only Humans and Lylatians can activate Halo, even with the Index, alone it is useless to the Covenant, without one of us that is."

"And what do you want me to do about it?" asked the vulpine.

"We need your help to find the Index," finished the Spartan.

"What!? How can I help!?"

Cortana reasoned, "You and their Chief are similar in many ways. You both seem to have a certain…" she searched for the correct word, "…'luck' that runs about you. Though you lack the armor your skills in battle are more then a match for Covenant Soldiers. And perhaps this could help too. Chief."

The Spartan nodded and handed the fox a metallic wristband of some kind.

"What is it?" Fox held it in one paw. It was about the same size as his communicator.

"Of course you know of the Jackals Sir," said the Spartan, "These are the shields that they wear on their wrists. It deflects most projectiles but once it discharges it takes awhile to cool back down. So be careful."

Fox festooned the object around his left wrist. He reached to the floor and picked up the M6D that was there. He didn't know how to use the shield yet. He played with it for a while. He noticed a part that reached down from the band almost to his palm. He stretched his finger out and tapped it. To his amazement his wrist formed a green-yellow oval of light. It looked like green liquid electricity. If he crouched behind it, the light would cover his whole body, from the front anyways. He played with peeking his pistol around the corner of it.

"As the shield starts to turn red, get it out of harms way," cautioned the AI, "turn it off and let it cool."

"Hey!" shouted the bird, "Where's ours!?"

The Spartan stepped back then walked down the ramp, "The Covenant still has them."

"Yup!" the avian yelled in disgust, "Of course Fox gets it. Fox always get's it!"

"Oh, relax Falco," Krystal calmed him, "Fox earned it."

Slippy and Falco started to unpack all that was left of the gear that they had come here with. Most of the ammo was needed in other areas. Their room was illuminated by several white-blue lights that were placed where the ceiling met the walls. The walls and floor were a light blue-ish faded and scuffed metallic color.

Fox was overtired but still as he often was, the last one asleep that night. The lights in the room had dimmed sufficiently and now only glowed. He sat up in his cot, "Falco?" no answer, "Slippy?" again there was no answer. Everyone seemed to be comfortable with this Halo situation except for him. The room was so deathly quiet. Few noises were made down the ramp. It was completely silent.

"Fox? Are you ok?"

"Oh, yeah Krys I'm fine."

"Ok, I was just checking."

Fox slid back down into his fire blanket, "You know Krys, I… I uhh, really hope that we both get out of this."

"I do too Fox," she spoke softly, "Why is that?"

"Well… if I do somehow make it out of this alive…" he hesitated, "I've got something to show you."

"Really!?" she said a bit to loudly, "I mean, really? What is it?"

Fox regretted it, "Never mind go back…"

"Would you two shut up?!" Falco budded in, "I'm trying to sleep!"

Fox smiled, "Sorry Falco."

"We'll be quiet," said Krystal, "Right after Fox tells me."

Fox pretended he was sleeping and remained quiet.

"I know you're not sleeping Fox," she almost giggled. Fox didn't answer again and Krystal knew it was time to be silent. The vixen was still so curios about what the vulpine had just said to her. She focused her telepathy on the fox's mind. Whatever it was she was looking for, wasn't there. Either Fox just simply wasn't thinking about it at the moment, or he was keeping it locked up especially safe.

She sighed and rolled over. The vixen closed her eyes. A moment later she opened them as wide as they would go and her heart beat quick and hard like a drum. She had a thought of what it might be.


	21. This Lucky One

**Ch. 21: This Lucky One**

2256 September 27, 2554 (Cornerian Military Calendar) / Suspected Covenant Weapons Cache, apx. 300 Meters below Halo Surface, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"What it is?" the young raccoon Lieutenant looked questionably at a floating object. It was suspended in midair but some kind of invisible force. Below it was a long fall, one that would surely lead to death. They couldn't even see the bottom. All of Fire Team Alpha knew was, that they had traveled a sufficient distance below the surface of the ring and had come up against little Covenant opposition. It seemed like an underground temple of some kind.

Worst off all, they hadn't managed to contact anyone outside the fire team for almost four days now. They had no idea what was happening on the surface.

They were in a circle around the strange floating object. A large hole was put in the floor that led to the depths of Halo. In the middle of the hole at about chest height was the object.

"It looks like…" everyone jumped back as a metallic sliding sound came from the object. From within the bigger part of the thing, out popped a smaller item. Everyone's hearts were racing.

"It looks like a key," said one of the gunners.

Lieutenant Trace looked at the object. It did look like a key. But it was glowing like it was filled with plasma, "Ok, looks important. We're getting it."

A few soldiers looked at the far drop.

"I'm… I'm not."

"No way."

"The raccoon rolled his eyes, "Fine, I'll get it," he motion for one of the bigger hounds to move closer. They removed their gloves and locked their paws together. The Lieutenant leaned out, "Just a little farther…"

"Hey… did anyone else hear that?" a Lynx bared his Battle Rifle to the teams six. He knew that there were many other soldiers behind him between him and the exit of the temple, but, did so, just to be sure.

He stretched out his arm, "Got it!" he was immediately pulled back in by the soldier and the few that secured him.

"Whoa, there it is again," said the Lynx.

"I heard it too Sir."

"Relax guys it's probably just the wind," the raccoon secured the item firmly to his belt.

"Yeah! Under the ground!" said a paranoid fox.

The sound came again, this time louder. Trace could even hear it this time. It sounded like it was coming from the ceiling and the walls of the complex. Now it scared him too. He spoke lightly, "Round up, were getting out of here."

His men spoke in whispers as well.

"Yes Sir."

"You got it Sir."

Trace jumped as his low range radio hissed a squeaked, "Sir!"

It almost gave him a heart attack. He hissed a whisper back while he kept moving, with his cheek hugging the stock of his weapon, "What?!?"

"Lieutenant we're getting some weird activity near the exit."

"What kind?" the raccoon asked. He hit a wall and peeked around the corner he gave the signal for his team to move forward. One female cat crouched beside him and covered the rear as each ran around the corner.

"Weird gurgling sounds and stuff."

"Roger that," whispered the raccoon, "We're on our way out now. Two hundred meters and closing."

"Roger that. Sir, is something wrong?"

"No Corporal, everything is fine. Maintain radio silence," he whispered answered and closed the radio, "Move up."

"Understood."

The small section of the fire team moved up. Everyone moved quietly but very quick. The sounds were becoming more often and louder now. They were more like squishing and sliding sounds now. But besides that it was dead quiet until fire erupted around the corner, down the huge hall of the underground temple. The thundering of rifles and the incisive rattling of the Smaller SMGs echoed.

The Lieutenant's heart raced as he put up his arm to stop his team. Each member took a defensive position. Down the hall were stray tracers and flashes of guns that made it around the corner. They couldn't see anyone or anything. But, the oddest thing off all was that there were no plasma bolts flying. There were just the silver-yellow tracers of bullets.

"Fletcher status!" the raccoon almost shouted.

The reply came loud and hard. He could hear weapons firing in the background, "They're ripping right through us! Huh?!? They're everywhere! It's like some sort of Bio-weapon! Whoa! AGHHHH!!!! Get it OFF!!"

"Corporal!" Trace shouted into the radio. But he didn't get a reply. In a few more seconds, the bullets and gunfire stopped at the end of the hall. It was silent. Deathly silent. He waited a moment longer, "Corporal Fletcher?" the raccoon asked into the device. Once again, nothing came.

Suddenly a loud screeching sound erupted from all directions. The loud tone was deafening. Then it was silent again. Not a sound was made. There were fifteen troops left, and all their hearts were racing and pounding on their rib cages. Their hearts wanted out.

It was the young vulpine that snapped. He stepped back and forth for a moment. His breath was erratic and pulsing, "Oh god. We're fked. We're fked!!! I-I gotta get out of here!" he looked around frantically and ran back in the direction the team had come from, shouting hysterically and crying uncontrollably in fear.

"Private! Get back here!" ordered the superior. He didn't get a response. All he heard was the fox's footsteps disappear in the distance as he ran down the hall, back in the direction from where they had come. Everyone else in the team shuffled uncomfortably. The raccoon nodded, "Ok… look sharp. We're going in. It's our only way out."

"You got it," said a hound, "Lock and load," he slipped the clip into his MA5B and let the action slide forward. Everyone else did the same. No one had any idea what there was to expect.

"Alright, on me," the raccoon led the team slowly, and carefully. He took a deep breath and was read for anything. He approached the corner. He slowed his run to a walk and kept the barrel of his rifle horizontal. He peeked the snout of the gun around the edge of the wall and flipped off his safety.

* * *

X 

X

7 Units, (Covenant Military Calendar) En-route to Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

Yaani deactivated his camouflage as he tightly grasped the rear bumper of one of the Humans Warthogs. This LRV wasn't driving. It was in mid-flight. The Humans and Lylatians had securely festooned it to one of the dropships. But he couldn't risk being seen. He was only there as a field scout. It wasn't a task that was seldom given to Elites of high rank, such as himself. But there was no way a Brute could infiltrate this way. They lacked stealth, and in his opinion, honor as well.

He turned his head down and watched dark water race below him. The only way he knew it was water was because of the reflections of the Human dropship's lights. Otherwise it was nothing but blackness. But he knew it was going to the right place as well. He peeked around the corner of the suspended LRV. The Elite knew the troop bay of the Pelican was occupied, but he couldn't see a thing. The inside was dark.

The silver Elite reactivated his cloaking as he felt the LRV swing slightly forward as the ship came to a slow. Yaani had no erratic heartbeat. He was calm.

The Pelican slowed and spun. This is when the Elite knew, he was at his destination. He waited a moment for the ship to lower and he jumped. Yaani didn't how far the drop was. He let his long legs absorb his fall to the balcony. Without a sound, the three meter tall alien hit the deck and made a break for the nearest piece of cover. His sprinted to the wall and hugged it.

He was well aware that the Humans had a form of motion sensors. And he also was well aware that they could be overcome by slow and stalking movements. He just had to be patient and take his time.

The large blast doors slid open. He squinted and hugged the wall even more. Lylatians and Humans walked past each other as teams exchanged shifts. As fast as they had come open the doors started to slide close. The downside of being in the inside was that it was light. The active cammo was good but it didn't completely hide him. It wasn't perfect. The Covenant light bending technology had only come so far. In the dark, it was nearly flawless, but in the light, if they looked very closely, they would find him.

It was now or never. The scout slipped through the door silently behind the last man moving in. He almost brushed the wolverine's arm. But he missed it. The Elite took cover behind crates, where he knew that he would not be found for a while.

Yaani peeked over the top of the box. The inside of the room was truly immense, "The Control Room," he said in awe. He knew where the part that would actually control would be. It would be at the end of the hall. But it was separated into four sections. On either side was a huge drop. But there was a room separating each piece of the suspended hallway.

There were four rooms along the hall. He thought of how this Coalition would have planned it. Yaani figured that the front room would be for holding the first line of attackers off. It would probably be stocked with weapons. He looked up. Over the entrance were two soldiers guarding, with one of the large machineguns. Even more men lined the top. He would have to be careful.

The second and third rooms would probably barracks for the many soldiers that the Coalition had there. And the last room and the control area would most likely be home to the higher ranking officers of the forces. But there too, could be the brig. It was either in the first room, or if not that… the last.

There were a lot of places to take cover along the open halls. They were built like they were made for battle. The Elite waited until the area was clear enough for him to move forward. Each time it took about ten to fifteen units for the area to be baron. It took him a long while to make it to the entrance of the first room. Though the cammo worked well, he stuck to the shadows. Yaani wanted to risk nothing.

The Elite froze against the wall. He waited for the small blast door to open as troops filed out. When it did, there was no way the scout was going to miss his chance. He slipped in. Inside the room were many small computers and ramps that led to different directions. Every single one was patrolled, which made him believe that he was getting close.

The Elite would have to wait until the guards traded shifts. When they finally did he slipped past into the top. Yaani was relieved, it was the brig. He searched each cell. One was glowing with a wall of plasma. Inside was the Elite, the one he was looking for. He slowly stepped up to the wall of plasma and deactivated his active camouflage.

The purple alien saw him immediately, "Brother."

Yaani was filled with partial disgust for the imprisoned soldier, "You shouldn't have given in, to such a race. Your shame reflects on me, and on your other Brothers."

"I understand your excellently. But under the circumstances…"

"I do not want to hear your pitiful excuse. I would have left you to die, but you are needed. Come, let us go."

The purple Elite growled, "The activation for the cell wall is located over there," he motioned his long head toward the hallo-panel, "I don't know how you expect us to get out of here. It will be daylight soon."

"We must be cautious," Yaani deactivated the cell and the purple Elite stepped out.

"I am Zuterio, your excellently. I am at your service."

"Does your active camouflage still function?"

Zuterio disappeared before his eyes.

"Good," said the superior, "You are to fallow me."

"As you wish."

The two cloaked figures stepped down the ramp. The guard stood there with his back to the two Elites. Yaani was growing tired of the time that was consumed to rescue the POW. He wielded his sword. It made an electric hissing sound as the blue plasma formed into their dual blades.

The UNSC troop must have known that sound. He must have been familiar with it. He spun around on his heels but he was way too slow. The invisible force plucked him from the ground with one hand. With the other, he drew back the sword. Before the man could scream the Elite sent the two blades clean through him, both his armor and body.

With satisfaction, he pulled out the blades and threw the man to the top of the ramp. Barely a sound was made except the flopping of the dead body. The blood began to pool immediately.

Zuterio plucked the guards pistol from the floor. His finger could barely fit in the trigger guard of the M6D, "Well done brother."

"Come. They will soon notice its absence."

The two cloaked figures froze and hugged to the walls as a door slid open. It was from the way that they needed to go. The thing that walked through was in a jumpsuit. It had red fur and a silver band on each forearm. The Elite considered killing him. But it was too open. He could get caught. This lucky one. This lucky red furred creature would survive… for now.

Just when he was about to go through the next door, the smaller red creature paused and looked around the room. Yaani moved his alien hand closer to the handle of his sword. But the creature wagged its white tipped tail once and went through the door letting it close behind him.

By the time Yaani and Zuterio made it out of the Control Room, it was dawn. There were troops on the outside, but not many. They were just patrolling. Yaani motioned toward one of the Pelicans, "Can you fly it?"

"I will learn."


	22. The Day Before

**Ch. 22: The Day Before...**

0400 September 28, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

Krystal shot straight up in her cot. It was late but something had awoken her and now she had no intention of going back to sleep. It frightened her, "Fox?" she asked quietly into the darkened room. She didn't get an answer, "Fox are you there?" she whispered again. She got up and slowly tiptoed her way to the vulpine's bed. She put her paw down and caught his shoulder, still nothing.

The vixen shook him by the shoulder, "Fox wake up."

The vulpine coughed and cleared his throat, "What do you want?" the fox was exhausted therefore, a little rude, "I'm sleeping."

"I'm terribly sorry to wake you Mister McCloud."

"That's fine Krys," Fox didn't even bother to get up, move, or even open his eyes, "What do you need?"

The little blue fox took a seat at the edge of Fox's cot, "Something is wrong."

This made Fox take a little more attention. He rolled and looked up at Krystal, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know exactly. I had a bad dream."

"Oh yeah? What about?"

"I-I don't remember."

Fox then shot straight up in his cot, "How's your head?"

"No, no, it's fine… thank you."

"You just tell me if anything starts to come one again ok? I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"I will."

"Now, what's the problem?"

"You remember the Spartan, and how he talked about the Flood? Whatever it is? Whatever they are?"

"Yes."

"Well… I think it's them."

Fox's heart began to pound. He bit his lip and nodded, "Are you sure?"

"No, I'm sot sure. I-I don't know. Maybe it was just a bad dream. I can't tell, Fox."

"Let's hope that it was just that. Can you sleep?"

"I think… I think so," Krystal hesitated.

"Your dream, you don't remember what it's about?"

"No, I just remember that..." she stuttered and whimpered out the last few words that she had to say, "I'm afraid."

Fox opened up his arms, "Come here."

Krystal fell into his arms. Fox could hear her whimper over his shoulder. That's when he really started to worry. He knew to be careful of the vixen's dreams. With her powers, the dreams could often become reality. Plus, her little breakdown frightened him. He had no idea what to think and he still knew little on what had caused it. It was another one of the many mysteries of the ring, to him anyways.

He pat her on the back, "Are you all right Krys? I mean, if you want…" Fox just thought the rest of his statement. He knew Krystal would pick up on the thought.

"Yes Fox, I'd like that. I'd like that very much if did."

"Alright then," Fox pulled himself out of his cot.

"If it's not too much trouble, that is."

"No, it's fine. I know how you feel," the vulpine silently folded up his cot and slid it over to where Krystal's had been placed.

The vixen lay down in her bed, "Thank you. This makes me feel much better."

Fox pulled his fire blanket over his chest.

Krystal soon found his paw with hers. She tightly grasped it and the vulpine returned the favor. He tightened his paw\around hers, "It's gonna be fine Krys. We're gonna be fine."

"Fox?"

"Yes?"

"I really, really like it, when you call me Krys."

The vulpine chucked, "Why is that?"

"It just makes me feel," she tightened her grip around the larger fox's paw, "special."

* * *

X

X

166 Units, (Covenant Military Calendar) Concealed Covenant Position, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Now," Yaani wielded his plasma sword in the small room. The only other who was in the dimmed room was the purple Elite that he had rescued from the Coalition. He wanted to get all the information he could from this prisoner of war.

Zuterio looked at the blue electrical dual blade, "There is no need to interrogate me your excellently. I will tell you all that my knowledge extends to."

"Hmm, you are hereby transferred into my team. You will be fighting by my side."

"What is our objective?"

"Our objective," the silver Elite quickly squeezed the handle of the sword and the plasma retreated, "is to kill the Demon."

"You can't possibly be serious."

"Are you afraid my brother?"

"I do not fear death."

Yaani started with the questions, "Very well, the Brute Chieftain, Ricorus. It is his mission to activate Halo, and to find the Sacred Icon. When the time comes, we will wipe out all the defenses of this, 'Coalition'. But Ricorus needs someone to live, and to activate Halo."

"Your excellently, do you remember the Red One?"

"The Red One?" inquired the higher ranking Elite.

"Yes, the one that nearly ruined our escape."

"What about it?"

"This creature has been confirmed dead in the line of duty at least twice now. Except, he keeps coming back. It's either he is very skilled or very lucky. And maybe both."

The silver Elite sneered, "And what makes you think that the Red One would activate the holy ring?"

Zuterio had answer, "It is unlikely he himself would activate Halo."

Yaani grew impatient, "Then why do you waste my time?"

"Listen your excellently, there is another."

"What do you mean another?"

"Another one, similar to this individual, except blue."

Yaani tilted his head, "And this one will be the one? The one that will activate the ring?"

"The Blue One and the Red One seem to have a special relationship together. Such as, a," Zuterio paused, "a significant other."

"I see."

"If you capture them both, one will activate the ring."

"Hmm, I will relay your knowledge to the Brute Chieftain. As for now you are a part of my squad. We will find the Demon, and we will kill him. What is your knowledge of the Sacred Icon?"

"My apologies, I have no knowledge to the whereabouts of the Icon."

"Very well then."

"When will we commence the attack?"

Yaani headed for the door, "When both Brute forces and Elite forces are ready the attack will begin. We will annihilate everyone. And in the midst of the confusion, we will take the mighty Demons life."

* * *

X

X

0562 September 28, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"What happened to him?" a Marine hovered over the dead body of his fallen comrade. The dead man's uniform was covered in red sticky blood.

A women medic leaned down and looked closely at the man's face. It was ghostly white, "He's been down for quite sometime now. Looks like a sword got at him. Clean in, and through… man, he didn't feel a thing."

"That's the way to go. Hmp, looks like someone let out the Elite too."

The female Marine rolled the UNSC man's body over, "Plasma scoring comes through the chest, clean through the lungs and heart. It came through the front, and through the ribcage. Sergeant, he saw it coming."

Master Sergeant Johnson walked over the Marine's corpse, "And they let our little friend out too?"

"Yes Sir," said the male Corporal, "Looks like buddy got in on one of our inbound Pelicans. Came in, killed the guard, released his pal and made off."

"Why couldn't our motion sensors get him?" asked Johnson.

"He was probably creeping. Came in nice a slow. Probably even brushing shoulders with some of our guys."

The medic pulled the dog tags from the man's neck. She threw them through the air and Johnson caught them, "Hey Serge, they made off with his side arm."

"Hmp, and how much are we trusting these animals?"

Johnson glared at him, "What are you getting at Corporal?"

"I mean Sir, one minuet were fighting these blood thirsty aliens. Then things that eat you alive and turn you into monsters while you're still living. And now? Well, we got these furry creatures on our side. Not quite aliens, not quite humans, not quite animals, their in a league all their own!"

"And?"

"And?! I mean, look at them! I mean… their well… cute!"

"Are you going soft on me Marine?" the Master Sergeant asked with a smile.

"No Sir, it's just that… I don't exactly know what to think."

The medic joined in too, "Sir, with all due respect toward the Lylatians, they stole our technology."

"As long as their guns are pointed at the Covenant and not me, I'll fight for them. The Chief and the fox are moving out tomorrow morning. They'll be looking for the Index. Huh, for so reason he really trusts these things. Apparently he needs the fox's help to get the Index."

"And after that?"

"Then? Then we blow this popsicle stand!"


	23. Skipper

**Ch. 23: Skipper**

0601 September 29, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Are you ready?"

Fox opened one eye at the deep voice. He spun up in his bed and looked upward, "What are you talking about?"

"We're getting the Index. And you're helping me find it."

Fox sat up in his cot and began to ready himself. He knew the Spartan just wanted him and him alone. The vulpine reached under his cot. He snatched the Battle Rifle and placed the M6D into his holster. The Spartan stood at the doorway observing. Soon, the vulpine was ready. He stepped forward and stopped. The fox turned around and looked around the room.

"What's wrong?" asked the Spartan.

"My team. I can't just leave them here. But… I know that they'll just slow us down. And, I promised that I wouldn't leave her."

"Look, if the Covenant find the key, and a way to activate this ring, it could already be too late. For everyone," the Spartan walked down the ramp expecting the vulpine to fallow shortly behind.

The vulpine hesitated longer. He looked at the vixen and stepped over t her cot. He reached under the bed. His paws searched for something on the floor. They soon found it. He slipped into the strap on the M90 shotgun. He then leaned over Krystal, "I'm gonna need this," Fox kissed her on the cheek, "Don't worry. I'll be back soon. Take care of yourself."

Krystal was still sleeping. She let out a long sigh.

The fox pulled the blanket over her shoulder and tucked in the small vixen. He then turned to Falco's cot. He shook his by the shoulder, a whispered, "Falco."

After shaking the avian for while longer, he awoke, "Oh, god! What do you want?!?"

"Ok, listen up, and listen good. I have to leave for awhile. I got some business to take care of with the Chief. I'm not supposed to leave Krystal, so just keep her preoccupied for the day. I'll be back as soon as I can. Got it?"

"Yeah! Whatever! Leave me alone! Go do what you have to do! I'll take care of it!" Falco was irritated.

"Thanks, and if she starts to get a headache, don't ignore it."

"Go away."

Fox stepped backward for a few feet then spun around and sped down the ramp in search for the Spartan. The vulpine soon found him.

"We're heading to Command Post Alpha," said the armored Human.

"Why? What's there?"

"Someone else that I need help from."

"Kaplan? Sergeant Kaplan?" Fox had heard what happened. The Sergeant had decided to stay behind and wait for a fire team that hadn't returned, "How can he help us?"

"He's missing a fire team. The fire team was after a Covenant weapons cache."

Fox and the Chief neared the blast doors. A guard saw them and opened them for him. As they opened, a blast of cool air entered the complex. Fox and the Spartan slipped out and they slowly closed behind them.

The outside world was amazing. It had changed so much. It was still dark, but the weather had changed. The last time he checked it was a moist overcast. But now, winds howled and whistled. The balcony was covered in a thin layer of snow, and white crystalline flakes twirled in the wind.

The Chief directed him to the Pelican. The Spartan let the fox go in first and he soon fallowed. The ship went down slightly as the half ton man boarded. Soon the doors in the rear shut. Fox watched as the M12 Warthog the Pelican carried disappeared.

"Dieppe four-nineteen," it was Cortana, the artificial intelligence that lived in the Chief's armor, or that was what Fox understood anyways, "The Chief and Skipper are aboard. ETA to Command post Alpha."

Fox put his BR on the seat beside him. The engines of the dropship flared to life, "Ma'am, I can have you guys there in about an hour half. Hmm… less of the weather cooperates."

"Understood Dieppe, please keep us posted."

"Yes Ma'am. Thanks to the Longswords for taking out the AA positions, we should be able to make some good time. Control, this is Dieppe four-nineteen, I have Skipper and Spartan 117 aboard. We are enroot to Command Post Alpha."

"Dieppe four-nineteen, this is Command. You are clear to take off. Caution, Halo's environmental systems are malfunctioning beware of concealed Covenant air patrols."

"Roger that Control," replied the pilot, "I'll keep an eye out for them."

"Copy that four-nineteen. Good luck."

The Pelican thrust forward. Slowly at first, then they could feel it making some real speed. The vulpine was a little nervous being aboard one of these dropships. They always seemed to crash on him. But he knew that there was little Covenant opposition. Either way the fox began to relax.

"Hey Chief?" Fox turned to him, "Who's Skipper?"

"Isn't it obvious? You are."

Fox hadn't thought about it. But it was true. His rank was Captain and he was the commander of his team and the Captain of the Greatfox. Maybe that was just what all the UNSC troopers were calling him, "Alright… I guess that's ok," it quiet for a moment before Fox built up the courage to talk to the Spartan again, "You wanna answer a few questions for me Chief."

"Shoot."

"Your armor, why do you only have it and no one else."

"Because I'm a Spartan. No one else is strong enough to use it."

Fox stood up from his seating, "Do you mind if I…"

"Go ahead."

Fox stepped over to where the man was. He took a seat right beside him. Fox was nervous. His heart raced. He put his paw out. The fox had once shook hands with the man, but that was before he knew what he was. He paid little attention to his armor at that point. He put his paw closer, it neared his shoulder. He touched the armor. The surface looked scratched at beaten but it was perfectly smooth to the touch.

"What you are touching isn't exactly the Mark VII," it was a females voice. Fox looked into the Spartan's visor.

"Skipper, meet Cortana."

"It's a pleasure to meet you again Captain."

"Yeah… like wise… uhh Cortana. Mark VII huh? And why aren't I actually touching it?"

"The Mjolnir made armor system has a shield that protects the Chief from gunfire. It's invisible to the naked eye unless fired upon. Though it protects him all the time you can only see the shielding when it takes damage. Whether that is plasma or bullet rounds, splash from explosives, or any other projectile it can deflect or absorb it. But, it only works for a certain time before the Chief needs to take cover and wait for it recharge. If he doesn't then the armor its self starts taking the damage."

"So that makes you… invincible," Fox said in awe.

"Invincible no, difficult to kill? Yes. By the standards of the United Nations Space Command, aka the UNSC, the Spartan II program was a failure. Only one remains, Spartan 117."

Fox leaned back into the seat beside the man, "I heard. I heard that you were the last one."

"That's not exactly true Cortana."

"That is correct Chief!" the AI said cheerfully, "three more Spartans have not been accounted for. It is a legend that they could still be alive."

"And what about you?" inquired the AI, "From my understanding you are part of a team, team Starfox?"

"That's right. I lead a team of elite pilots," Fox tried to make himself and his team sound good to the warrior, "I'm technically a mercenary. I get paid to go around the Lylat System and well… quell threats to my planet. I have a ship called…"

"The Greatfox," the AI cut him off.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

She was silent for a second, "A few days ago before the Coalition was formed, a special forces strike team was assembled to investigate a 'Ghost Ship' of sorts. We now know that it belonged to you and your team."

Fox had no idea that this happened. His stomach felt light, "Ok, alight."

"We had to take a target down on your ship. A robot."

"It all makes sense now. I've been trying to contact him, and ask him for support. But, I could never get a hold of him."

"We have a team of mechanics trying to get the AI back online. But the technology isn't familiar to us. It might be awhile. I apologize for the inconvenience Skipper," the AI made the sorry for something that wasn't her fault.

Fox looked at the floor of the ship, "Its ok. It's fine. Do you have anymore questions?"

"Yes," said the Spartan II, "I got one."

"Go ahead."

"We think we know what took over the other fox's body. When she broke down. The Flood. But it doesn't make any sense. That hasn't ever happened to anyone else, my kind or yours. Why did it happen to her?"

"That's Krystal. She's not technically of… my kind. She is from another plant and another species. As far as she knows she is the last of her kind," Fox stopped and stared at his boots. He felt sorry for her still do the day, "She's… Krystal is a telepathic. In a nutshell she can read minds."

"I'm not an expert in the area," Cortana admitted, "It could have something to do with thought patterns and mind waves. In theory, that's how the Gravemind controls the rest of the Flood."

"Yeah," said Fox, "Maybe it can tap into her too. I just hope that she doesn't hurt herself or anyone else. Thanks for helping out Chief."

"My pleasure Sir."

"Don't calling my Sir," Fox smiled, "I guess Skipper's gonna be fine."

Inside his helmet, the Spartan actually cracked a smile. But it was something that his vulpine comrade would never find out. They were in the same war together. And maybe, if they find the key to the ring, everyone would make it off the ring in one piece.

Fox stood up. He stumbled as he tried to make it back to his side of the ship. It started to bump and rock. The vulpine took his seat and place one hand on the pistol grip of the rifle. The pelican started to rock back and forth more. He placed his other paw on a railing and held himself securely in place. He started to fear that the dropship would fall again.

"Hold on everyone. The weather is getting pretty bad. Radar is cutting out. We're going to gain to some altitude and fly above the cloud. We'll get there quicker but, well be a bigger target."

"Do it," said the artificial intelligence.

"Ok, hold on. It's happening," said the pilot of the Pelican.

The G-forces pushed down on the two soldiers as the bird quickly gained altitude. The engines flared to give the Pelican more altitude and velocity. Fox just leaned back into his seat and just preyed that it would make it there in one piece. The ship began to steady. The engines began to quiet and the flight was nearly silent once again.

"Hey Skip, Chief come check this out," the pilot looked back into the troop bay of the carrier.

Fox stood and made his way to the doorway. The fox looked through the view window of the Pelican. The view was truly amazing. He looked to the port side of the craft. The planet that the ring orbited glowed a bright blue and green as the light from the star reflected off of it and onto the dark side of the ring. That was the side that he was on. The cloud cover of the ring seemed to glow from the reflection of light. Fox could see the ring in front of him reach up into the heavens of the space.

It was times like these that he could barely believe that this ring was a weapon. It was truly a great piece of architecture, and whoever built it, well… it must have taken quite the time and effort. And how he wished Krystal could be there. He wanted her to see it too. Fox started to regret leaving her, and what might become of her, if the Flood tried to access her mind again.

The fox pulled away from the door. He took his seat once again. The view comforted him. He leaned back into the seat and sighed. He knew he shouldn't have left Krystal but, it had to be done, even after what he had promised her. All that he had to do now what come back to her, and come back to his team in one piece.

He hoped that she would be ok. Just long enough for him to do what needs to be done.


	24. Fire Team Alpha

Authors Note: Sorry, last week was exam week at school! You know how it is!

**X**

**Ch. 24: Fire Team Alpha**

0809 September 29, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

The blast doors of the Pelican parted. A rush of cool air entered the dropship. Fox opened one eye. The outside world was so bright he had to squint. The first thing he reached for was his rifle. He placed his paw on the pistol grip and held the BR55 perpendicular to the floor of the ship as he stood up.

Fox placed his other paw on the grab rail of the Pelican. He leaned out and looked down. The sun reflected off the white ground and made the scenery bright. The hills and mountains spanned out behind him. The ship was slowly reducing it's altitude as well. That meant that they were getting closer.

The air was cool but not to cold. Fox turned his gaze back up to the LRV Warthog. The front bumper, windshield, and turret were nothing but a build up of think ice and snow. The aft of the ship also had a thick layer of ice on it to from the storm. But the heat from the engines kept the required parts functioning.

"Master Chief, ETA to arrival two minuets. Ready yourself boys. There could be some Covenant patrols in the area."

The Spartan took his footing, "Roger that," the man reached under his seat under it was a box that slid out. He started grabbing grenades and clipping them to his belt. Fox copied him and did the same thing. The seat under him was filled with the 102mm rockets. Fox opened one of the boxes, each contained two rockets. Fox held one in his paw just to see how heavy it was.

The Spartan turned to him, "Here, take these," the Spartan pulled out another drawer. Inside were smaller cylindrical shaped bombs.

Fox picked them up and clipped them to himself along with two of the fag type bombs, "What are they?"

"Incendiary grenades," Cortana replied, "But, the Marines prefer to call them Fire Bomb Grenades. Their packed full with a highly flammable phosphorus substance that ignites upon contact with the target in question. The…" the Spartan lightly hit his helmet with his palm, as the AI went into to much detail, "Oh, right sorry."

The ship began to slow and lower, "This is it Chief," the pilot looked back into the troop bay. The Warthog dropped from the Pelican. As it hit the snow covered ground, the ice and frozen snow broke off the shocks and tires. The Spartan jumped down after it and Fox quickly fallowed. His boots sank into the ankle deep snow as he hit the ground.

The armored man looked up at the ship, "Dieppe four-nineteen, you are clear for departure."

"Roger that Spartan 117. Chief, Skip, good luck," the Pelican lifted and threw the ice off the ship and into the snow.

Fox McCloud looked around. The vulpine looked down upon the canyon that he had been fighting for days before. And now he was back here. He was back in the place, that he had… died. It was also the first place where he met the Spartan. But, the snow made the landscape look fresh and new. The hills and once grassy land were covered in a blanket of white.

Fox pulled the action of his Battle Rifle back. He used the butt of the weapon to chip the ice off the hood of the LRV. The Chief just used his steal knuckle to break away the hardened snow. But it was already starting to melt. Fox noticed the snow was sticking to his boots and the fenders of the M12 were dripping.

The vulpine looked up the hill. That's were the base was where the Sergeant would be. If he was still there and if he was still alive. Fox slowly started to make his way up the hill toward the post. As he got closer he too a mental note that there were no tracks or boot prints around the post.

The red vulpine neared the entry way, "Kaplan. Sergeant Kaplan."

He waited a moment. There was no answer.

Fox's narrowed his eyes. He leaned his Battle Rifle up against the outside wall so that the butt was in the snow. He reached over his shoulder and put one paw on the grip of Krystal's M90 shotgun. He brought it over his head and let the pump rest in his paw. He gripped the pump and slid it back, then forward. An 8gauge round slipped into the chamber as his paw went forward.

Fox lifted the barrel of the weapon. Whatever was on the receiving end of this fight was not going to win. He slowly stepped into the base, he looked first left then right. The fox kept his stance low as he rounded the corner to the right. The vulpine kept the butt of the weapon closed into his shoulder and a finger tip on the trigger.

Fox knew the base was small. And he knew that there was only one room in the half underground outpost. He put his back up to the next doorway, took a deep breath and slid around the corner and raised the shotgun.

On the other side looking straight back at him, was a wolf pointing an SA2 square at his head. But Fox was also doing the same to him. They quickly lower their weapons at the exact same second.

"Jesus Fox! Don't even tell me you're dropping by for a visit! Man, what are you doing here Sir?"

"Yeah nice to see you too," Fox let out a long breath, "We've got a problem."

"A problem? What kind of problem?"

Fox sighed, "Follow me," he started heading out of the building, "Have you heard anything from that missing fire team."

"Nah, I've heard nothing from them. I'm pretty sure that they're… well you know."

"I know, but… We're going after them," Fox stepped outside the door and picked up the gun he left there.

"What!? And just what do you expect us to do? Walk?"

"No," Fox said with a little impatiens. Talking to the Sergeant was a lot like talking to his wingman Falco. Fox pointed down the hill, "We'll take that."

The wolf looked down the hill, "What?! You didn't tell me he was here!"

The vulpine turned to the sergeant in question, "Who? The Chief? What's wrong with him? What does it matter?"

"I… I don't know. I guess I just haven't built up a trust with any of them yet. Maybe it's just me. I don't know."

Fox gestured his paw at the Spartan. He waved him forward. The armored super-soldier nodded and jumped into the driver's seat of the LRV. The engine roared to life. The tires spun for a moment as the accelerator hit the floor. Chunks of wet and melting snow flung into air as the Warthog moved forward. The Spartan hit the breaks and it slid up right beside them.

The Chief jumped out, "Do you have any weapons or rations left?"

The wolf looked into the green-gold visor of the huge man. He then glanced at Fox. Fox nudged his head toward the Spartan and flicked his eyebrows. The wolf looked back up to the armored human. He was silent for a moment then he nodded slowly. Not losing any eye contact with the visor of the soldier, "Yeah, nothing too useful. Keeding made it pretty clear that I wasn't getting any help if I was disobeying orders."

"What do you have?" the vulpine asked.

Kaplan glanced over his shoulder back through the door of the post, "A medical kit or two. Probably twenty or so, fourteen-five rounds for the S2, a few extra slugs for the magnum. And, maybe two more days of rations left if I'm lucky. And I got a bunch of mags for you 55s. Good thing you guys came along… Sir."

"Forget about formality, I'm in the same mess you are."

"Yes Sir… Fox… whatever."

"Get what you have," said the Spartan, "We're going to need it."

The sergeant left his long rifle leaning up against the side of the Warthog. He quickly grabbed all he had left for supplies out of his post. Whatever remained was placed into holders and compartments on the LRV.

The Spartan climbed into the gunner's seat. The wolf stepped into the driver's.

Fox placed Krystal's M90 on the floor and pulled himself in with his Battle Rifle pressed into his shoulder, "Ready to roll."

Kaplan stepped on the gas. The lugs spat snow into the air as they caught grip. The Sergeant took one last look back at the base. The post had been his home for the past week, "There's goes home."

"What's that?" Fox shook his head getting off other thoughts.

"No. Nothing. Alpha's insertion point was sixty seven kicks up-spin, left of here. It was supposed to be in a bog or something. I don't know if that's how it turned out. Command lost contact with them as they entered. Maybe the foliage is too thick for radio signals. They only had enough food for about four days. They've been out there for about a week. But that's what they are trained for. It'll be the least of they're worries. A big thing for them is going to be ammo. I don't know what they have. But I guess we'll find out."

Cortana cut in, "Halo's environmental systems are returning to normal. This snow should be gone in no time. But a bigger problem is that all the water could wash down into the swamps. We might not make it that far and have to carry out the rest on foot. Or… paw if you will."

Fox replied sarcastically, "Haha Cortana good one."

"Hmm, perhaps you don't share the humor that I do."

"You got that right," said Kaplan.

"Sergeant?" asked Cortana.

"What's up?"

"After researching the ranks of our two races, I've come to the conclusion that the ranking system is identical from the Lylatian to the UNSC's. If that is true, then why would a Sergeant be in command of a whole fire team?"

"I didn't come into this fight a Sergeant. I came into it a Lieutenant."

The red vulpine turned his head toward the driver, "What happened?"

"I was demoted for using risky tactics taking control of Alpha Post for the first time. I lost a lot of good men and women but, we got the position. Keeding dubbed my tactics of unnecessarily risky, and bumped me all the way down to Sergeant," the man took a moment, "They couldn't find a replacement for me so I was left in charge."

"And Alpha?" it was the Spartan.

"Mr. Trace. They have a young raccoon Lieutenant. Nice guy. A little edgy and well… 'Gung Ho' if you will."

"Crazy?" Fox asked.

"Ah, I wouldn't go as far a crazy. Like me he has lost his share of troops. He hits hard and fast. I don't know how it works, but he can get the job done. A little young for leading a group so large but he seems to do ok. We were in the same Academy classes for a while. We weren't tight but we knew one and other. When the war with the Covenant started, we were drafted into leading fire teams. He got one, I got another, and all the rest of the boys got theirs too. Most were appointed aboard the Ripper before it went down."

Fox rested the rifle on his lap and let the barrel hang out the side of the Warthog, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Aw, no worries. So, Cortana, Chief, how did the war start for you?"

"The UNSC encountered the Covenant many years ago in space combat. We tried to make our first connection with other intelligent beings peaceful. As you can tell, that didn't quite work out."

"I don't know how we got it stared. I think the same way. We can hold our own on the ground but space seams to be a different matter."

"Cortana," Fox watched the snowy terrain in front of them, "Any word on my ship?"

"The Covenant did not discover the Greatfox. And our technicians have nearly repaired your AI. The UNSC promises to leave your ship once the repairs are complete."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome Skipper."

The rest of the ride was fairly quiet. Only a few more pieces of conversation came up. Kaplan navigated the Warthog through the hilly and rocky terrain. Cortana was right. All the snow was melting. The ground was becoming slimy. The treads of the M12 kicked up chunks of mud and grass into the air.

Fox looked at the communicator on his paw. He then shut it off. Fox didn't want any of them to worry. He didn't want Krystal to worry especially. His issued communicator powered down and the screen went black. He sighed, knowing that he made a mistake. But, now he was here, and the least he could do for them, and for her, was to come back in one piece.

"Whoa, heads up," Kaplan let up on the accelerator as the hog neared the top of a hill.

Fox instinctively tightened his grip on the rifle. He held the pistol grip in one paw and grasped the roll bars of the Warthog while standing, leaning out the side. The LRV stopped and below was a vast ocean of green.

"That would be the swamp," Cortana pointed out.

"Looks like Alpha certainly knows how to pick 'em," said the Spartan.

The wolf tapped at the controls of the M12, "The last known position of the fire team was just at the bottom of this hill. Right where the swamp begins."

"Well," the Spartan paused for a moment, "What are we waiting for?"

"Keep your pants on," the Sergeant pressed on the accelerator. The front lugs of the vehicle rolled over the top of the hill. The others soon fallowed. The M12 began it's decent down the steep hill.

The slippery slope began to takes its toll. The Hog began to slide as the wolf tapped on the breaks. The rear end covered over. He let off the breaks and the quad steer set it back into place. But from there on in, the only thing that could be gained was speed. The tires began to spin faster and lose their traction.

"Hold on," Sergeant Kaplan said calmly.

The M12 picked up more velocity. Kaplan tried to turn the tires. But he over corrected. The Warthog went into a side ward slid.

Fox looked to his right and saw the bottom of the hill nearing them, "Uh! Now would be a good time!"

Kaplan tugged at the steering wheel, "I'm working on it!"

At the last moment the tires gained their grip and the Warthog straightened out. The LRV rolled down the hill and into the water. The water splashed over the hood and windshield and into the cab. The Hog came to and abrupt halt.

The soaked vulpine slowly turned his gaze to the driver. He shook his head and droplets of water came flying off, "Not a word. Just drive."

The Sergeant chuckled, "You got it."

The treads of the hog gripped the ground under the water. The liquid covered over half of the tires. Fox thought it would limit their mobility, but the torque from the engine made the tires tear through the water.

Fox looked up as they entered the forest. The once bright world turned into a dark covered forest. Light could barely breach the cover. It looked like it was dusk and as if the sun were just about to set.

The drive slowed so he could navigate around the foliage and trees, "According to this map, the weapons cache is about two kilometers up-spin, left twenty five degrees."

It was then completely quiet except for the growling motor of the M12. Fox just glanced at him and then spun his head back in the direction that the vehicle was heading. The Spartan and Cortana didn't say anything either.

Kaplan took his eyes off the road for a moment and looked at the Captain, "What? What's wrong?"

"Well…"

Fox was cutoff by the AI, Cortana, "The weapons cache that your missing fire team was looking for wasn't exactly what you think it was. Or, that's what we think anyways. It's…"

"The Flood," the Chief budded in, "That's what we think it is."

Kaplan didn't say anything back. The Warthog hit a deep spot and the water flowed up over the hood. He pressed the accelerator harder and the vehicle plowed through and came up over the other side.

The dept of the water began to lessen. Fox spotted something through the trees, "hold up. What's that?"

Kaplan brought the vehicle to a stop, "Ready that machinegun. We might need it."

The Spartan had detected the objects in the forest a long time ago and he knew that they were no immediate threat but he readied the gun and nodded. The M12 slowly moved into the position.

Fox looked through the scope of the BR55, "Hold on, it looks like some Warthogs and Scorpions."

Kaplan parked the recon vehicle a safe distance away. Fox jumped out and into the ankle deep water. He and Kaplan slowly moved in. They drug their ankles through the water. Fox flipped the safety off the rifle. He snuck up the passenger side of the LRV. Then rose and pointed his weapon into the cab. The driver's seat was empty. But in the closer passenger seat, there was a wolverine. His eyes were shut and there was a bandage wrapped around his arm.

Fox calmed his breathing. He didn't know what to expect. If he was infected by the Flood, would he still look like this? The vulpine took a deep breath and nudged the man's neck with the end of his gun. Nothing happened. He did it once more harder.

The wolverine slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry. He looked to his left at the fuzzy figure. He reached his paw down to his waist and put it on the pistol.

Fox stopped him by grabbing his paw.

The wolverine looked up at the blurry figure in fear. He began to tremble.

Fox let the man's paw go. He kept the barrel of the rifle level with his head, "Say something."

The wolverine coughed, "Starfox?"


	25. Welcome to the Fight Alone

**Ch. 25: Welcome to the Fight Alone**

1200 September 29, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Command Post Alpha, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

* * *

**X**

"Starfox?"

"Don't move!" Fox was nervous. He pressed the barrel of the BR55 into the neck of the wolverine that he had found in the Warthog LRV, "What's your name?"

The wolverine's eyes slid shut and he turned his head, "Private First Class Mick Connors. Fire Team Alpha, Corneria."

Fox lowered the barrel of the gun, "What happened? Where is everyone?"

The wolverine had gone limp, "I don't know. Lieutenant Trace and his team went in a few days back. We haven't heard anything from them since. I've been trying to contact Home Base but, the radios don't work for sht."

Fox bit his lip. The Fire Team didn't know about the UNSC yet, and they didn't know that Home Base had been moved. The wolverine had been cutoff from the rest of the troops on Halo from days. He had no idea what was going on. Fox's eyes widened. The Fire Team didn't know about the Flood.

"I thought it was all hopeless," the wolverine said weakly. He turned his head toward the vulpine, "Until you showed up. We're on the last of our rations. There are more wounded just inside that entrance. It might be all we have left."

Fox looked to where the wolverine was gesturing. Just a little farther into the trees was grey building that was embedded into a hillside. He saw the Spartan heading toward the building, and he ran to catch up, "Wait! Wait a second!"

The warrior spun around and looked at the vulpine.

Fox caught up, "This is a team that's been cutoff from the rest of Halo for days. They don't know about you and they don't know about the UNSC. If they see you, they'll open up. Let me go in first."

The Spartan nodded. He watched the wolf and the fox stroll past him.

Fox carried the Battle Rifle by the pistol grip and down by his side. He stepped closer to the building. On either side of the hill two machineguns turned toward him others loaded their weapons and pointed them down range, toward Fox and toward Kaplan.

"Hold your fire! Friendly! Friendly!" Kaplan shouted.

The weapons and barrels slowly went down. Rucksacks and extra weapons lined the inside of the grey building. A cat came and approached them. He saluted, "Sir, Sergeant Hagar. Alpha Fire Team. Thank god you're here."

"What's you're sit-rep?" asked the fox.

"Not good Sir. We hit heavy Covenant defenses coming in. Most are wounded and more yet are dead. Low on ammo and rations. The last functional soldiers I have are these ten. The casualties are inside."

The wolf stepped inside. The building was build deep into the hill. Beams held up the ceiling as the narrow hall sloped down into a larger room. A huge platform was placed in the center. In front of the platform were all the casualties; the wounded, the dead, and the few medics. Whatever they had left was also there. That included a few Covenant weapons and what they had left for ammo.

Kaplan spun around and walked back up the sloped hallway, "This accounts for less then half of Alpha."

The cat nodded, "The rest are MIA. Trace brought them down two or three days ago. Haven't heard from any of them since. And I'm not going to risk the lives of the rest of these men to try to find them. No weapons cache is worth that."

Fox wasn't going to take the time to tell them that what they were sitting on top of wasn't a weapons cache. He just changed the subject. She shook his head off the thought of the Flood, "Have you're men hold their fire."

The orange cat nodded, "Sure but… why?"

"You'll see in a second. Hey Chief! You're good!"

From within the dark forest the titan emerged. Everyone from Alpha looked at him in awe. The Spartan stepped into the structure.

Hagar took a step back, "What-What is it?"

The Spartan looked down at him, "I am Spartan 117."

Cortana monitored the structure, "Hmm, it looks identical to the structure on the first Halo."

The orange feline whispered to the fox, "What's going on here!?!"

"A lot has happened while you were here. We've joined forces with a new race. They call themselves Human, or the UNSC."

Cortana assessed the situation, "Sergeant Hagar. Tell you're men to gather their weapons. If you can make it to the base of the swamp, there will be a Pelican waiting there to extract you and the rest of your troops. Chief, I used the armor to amplify the signal from your communications systems to the Control Room. It's still sketchy, but I can talk to them."

"What's a Pelican?" the orange furred cat raised one eyebrow.

"Sergeant Kaplan," Fox addressed the wolf.

"Yes Sir Captain?"

"Can you take care of the rest of the team from here? They don't know anything about the UNSC or the control room."

"Yeah, you bet. What about you?"

"The Chief and I are going after the rest of Alpha. Don't worry. We'll call for extraction when we need. Just do me a favor and leave us a Warthog. Incase we need it. Don't wait up for us.

"Yes Sir," the wolf nodded, "Alight listen up Alpha! Take everything you've got, extra ammo, medical gear and all of the casualties. We're heading out. Hagar get the…" the wolf went off and into his business.

The fox looked up at the Spartan, "Cortana, how long for evac?"

"Dieppe four-nineteen will be at the LZ at 1300 hours. That should give the team a long enough time to get there without too much incident."

"Thanks Cortana."

"You're welcome Skipper."

"Chief, ready when you are," Fox put the Battle Rifle around his shoulder and pulled out Krystal's shotgun.

The Spartan nodded and started heading toward the elevator. Fox guessed that he would know where to go. He had overheard Cortana talk about how this place was similar to another Halo.

The soldiers of Fire Team Alpha looked at the armored man in awe. The pair stepped onto the oversized elevator. Fox went to the controls. There was on a hollow panel of some sort. With his right paw he rest the shotgun on his shoulder. With his other paw he scanned over it, looking for a button that would activate the platform. In another moment he pressed down on a light.

He unlocked his knees as the elevator jumped up. Then it started to slide down.

"Good luck Spartan," Fox looked up and saw the wolf. The Sergeant then looked at him, "Good luck Fox McCloud."

Fox smiled and shot a sloppy salute at the wolf. Then he let the shotgun fall back into his left paw as Kaplan and the rest of the men and women disappeared. He pulled back the pump of the 8guage, made sure that the breach was clear of any obstructions and loaded more rounds into the weapon until it wouldn't hold anymore. He closed the action, and then slid it back and forward quickly once more to load one of the shells into the chamber.

The walls started to tower above the two. The elevator descended into the depths of the ring. And after a few more seconds it came to a halt.

Fox raised the shotgun and was ready for the worst. And it was the worst. It was the worst because it was completely silent. Not a sound was made. Not a body was seen and it looked like no one had been down there for hundreds of years.

Fox's heart was clam but he could tell that it was starting to pick up the pace and beat faster. He kept Krystal's weapon close to his chest and slowly stepped off the elevator.

The Spartan II came up beside him with an MA5C, "I'll take point. You cover our backside."

"Ok Chief."

The Spartan walked ahead of the fox. The inside of the whole building was grey-ish blue with the blue plasma lights that illuminated the underground fortress. The Spartan walked toward a door. Green lights lined the entrance and with his rifle bared he walked through. On the other side was a room with four doors on the bottom and four on the top.

The fox fallowed the Spartan. The man jumped from a box and onto the top. Fox watched in awe as the man leaped so high. Fox knew that he weighed a lot, but even with all that weight, he still landed without making a sound. Fox did the same thing. He ran toward the box and through the shotgun out in front of him. His stomach hit and he pulled himself up. He did the same to the next floor.

The Spartan II grabbed his paw and pulled him up. They stepped over the glass floor and made their way to another corridor. The worst part of all was still that it was completely silent. They both crept along into the next room. Now, they were high above the bottom floor. On the other side of the room was an identical balcony to the one that they were now standing on.

Below on the bottom floor, Fox could spot out empty shell casings and the dead bodies of Grunts, Jackals and a few Elites.

"Well," Fox looked back up to the balcony on the other side of the room, "There's some trace of Alpha. How do we get across?"

"Like this," the Spartan hit a switch on the panel.

A strange buzzing sound came from below the fox's feet. He looked as a bridge of blue plasma began to form to join the two balconies. Fox was the first to step on the luminous bridge. He had no problem doing it since he had done it before when he was on Sauria, so long ago.

The Spartan fallowed. Fox went through the door first. He was now in a very small hallway. Every once and a while it had smaller halls that detached from it going left and right. But they were all dead ends after about six or seven meters. Fox stepped forward more. He proceeded to walk down the long hall, when the next thing heard was a mechanical "_Shuk-Shuk_."

He immediately lunged forward. As he did, the wall beside him chipped and splintered with one big and loud bang. The Fox slid on the floor and came to stop on his stomach. He stood up as fast as he could and pointed his weapon up. He quickly brought it back down as he realized he was pointing it at the Spartan who was hugging the wall. What ever was shooting at them was cornering its self in one of the small halls that branched out.

Fox came to the other side of the entryway. He slowly peaked around the corner. Then it happened again. He quickly spun around as a spray of lead pounded into the corner he was taking cover on. It took off a chunk of the corner and sent the fragments flying. Fox listened as the loading sound repeated and a shell hit the floor.

The Spartan and the Fox let the atmosphere silence. And, that's when Fox could hear a voice.

"Oh God! Oh God! They're coming to get me. I-I told them to run! I told them that we couldn't do it," the person fired again. The sound echoed through the halls again as the round slammed into the wall, "Get away from me you monsters!"

Fox squinted and bared his teeth as fragments from the wall chipped at his hide, "This is Fox McCloud of Team Starfox! Who's there?"

"Yeah right! Like Starfox is here! Go away!"

Fox closed his eyes and thought of a solution. He started to speak calmly, "It's alright. It's all ok now. Nothing is wrong," Fox could hear the person's breathing start to slow, "What's your name?"

"Private," he swallowed hard, "Private Howard… Alpha Fire Team. Who-Who is this?"

Fox did the best he could to reason and speak calmly, "This is Fox McCloud of team Starfox. I want you to put your weapon down Howard. Can you do that for me?" Fox didn't get an answer, "Howard, I'm here to help you and get you out of this. Where is the rest of your team?"

"My team? My team?!? Haha! They're all dead! All of 'em man! I told them…"

"Ok, let's not get too exited. I'm gonna come out now ok?"

"You do whatever you want to man!"

Fox set the shotgun and the BR55 that was slung over his shoulder up against the wall. He put his paws up beside him to show he was now no threat.

Cortana was watching him through the Spartan's armor, "Skipper, are you sure about this? I'm detecting…"

"Relax Cortana just give me a second. I have to get him out of here. And we have to find the key," Fox slowly made his way around the corner with both paws up. What he saw was another fox with mangy red fur. He was huddled up at the end of the branch with his gun pointed at the vulpine's head.

The stricken vulpine was vibrating and every time Fox took another step forward, he would adjust his aim to the center on the vulpine's head.

Fox still held up his paws, "Put the gun down," the vulpine with the M90 shotgun began to lower it. And fox sighed it relief. The man was beginning to calm. Or, so he thought. The hair on the back off Fox's neck stood on end as a gurgling and scarping sound came from all around him.

"Oh fck no! They're here again!"

"Relax, what's here? Who's here?"

"Them! You know!?! Them?!? Oh fck! I'm screwed!" the hysterical fox raised the weapon once again. He drew back the action, and then slid it forward. Fox's heart raced. He had no where to go. He had no where to run to. He was going to die.

The insane vulpine laughed out loud and pulled the trigger. Fox had an idea, the one that would save his life. He brought down both arms and reached his left paw over to his right wrist and held it out in front of him. A green wall of plasma appeared in front of him. The spray from the shotgun was absorbed into the Jackal's shield that the Spartan had given to him.

Fox could feel the object on his wrist start to warm. The insane vulpine sent another round into the shield. It once again deflected it.

"Haha! You're one of them! You're one of them! I'd sooner die then become one of you! You killed them all!"

Fox looked through the now red in color plasma shield. He watched in horror as the fox put down the shotgun, and pulled out his M6D. He placed the silver pistol on the side of his head and without even a moment of hesitation, pulled the trigger.

"No!" Fox shouted. There was nothing he could have done about it. He turned a blind eye as the flash erupted and the fox was dead.

Fox hid behind his shield a moment longer and kept his eyes closed, until it was once again completely silent. He deactivated the shield, walked toward the fox, snatched the tags, and walked away.

The Spartan shook his head, "There's nothing you could have done."

Fox sighed "I know that!" he paused and calmed, "I know. Let's keep moving Spartan."

"Skipper?"

"What is it Spartan?" Fox said drearily.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Come on. Let's do what we need to do," Fox put the Battle Rifle back over his shoulder and cradled Krystal's shotgun.

"It's not much farther now," said Cortana, "If the anatomy of this Halo is similar to the first one, then we should find the Index soon. The next room will be a very large and wide hall. It shouldn't be far from there."

Fox and the armored man continued forward. The vulpine couldn't help but feel disappointed in himself. But now he carefully checked every single one of the branching off short hallways, "Cortana?"

"Yes Captain?"

"What was that sound that I heard?"

The artificial intelligence remained silent for a moment, "That… was the Flood. Have your weapons ready at this next corridor."

When they finally came to the end of the hall the Spartan cut in front of his vulpine comrade. Then door opened. The Spartan raised his weapon. It was a long hall filled with twists and corners. But once again, there was nothing to shoot at. But there was something else.

When Fox stepped into the larger hall, he almost threw up. The floor and all around was littered all around were bodies, and blood. The stench was over powering. He could see drag marks and weapons that lie within arms reach of their bodies.

Fox looked around in disgust and fear. He pulled the weapon yet closer, placed his finger on the trigger, and approached one of the bodies. It was a young raccoon. He was lying face down. The vulpine tapped his back with the muzzle of his weapon. The soldier didn't move.

Fox set the M90 down beside him and rolled the body over. He jumped back in disgust. Half of the face was torn off. The front of the uniform was dampened with sticky, red blood and the man's left arm was ripped off. The last thing he saw was a fabric tag on the front of the uniform reading "_Trace M_."

Fox stumbled back, gagged, and landed on his tail, "It's them," he swallowed hard, "This is Alpha."

The Spartan noticed something carefully attached to the dead Lieutenants belt. He walked past the choking vulpine. He put his glove out and grabbed the item. It was a luminous key.

He tore it off the belt and held it in his hand, "This is it."

The Spartan's hand was jerked vigorously as the key was taken out of his hand. A green colored beam took it through the air and into a floating silver orb, with a green light in the center of it.

Fox immediately reacted. He turned to the floating ball and fired. The M90 bucked him and sprayed the target. But only sparks emerged as the target jostled in the air, and didn't go down. He bared his fangs and fired again.

"Please! Save your ammunition!" said the ball turning to him.

Fox looked at the Spartan II with wide eyes, "Chief?!?"

"Greetings! I am 16807 Apologetic Helix. I am the monitor of Installation zero-six. One of the other species on this installment has released the Flood. We have to act quickly if we are to control this outbreak!"

The Spartan put out his hand, "Give it back."

"Nonsense Reclaimer! You are a cellular, organic being, which makes you vulnerable to the infection. We have to get out of here, and then we can activate the ring!"

"Hold on a second…"

"Oh! And what is this?" the orb whirled in the air for a moment then circled the fox.

"He's a friend."

"This organism is very unique! It stands as if a Reclaimer, but possesses qualities of the animal kingdom. Hmm… I wonder it what place in between it fits? It is possible that it could be of the Forerunner entity, but it is impossible to tell right now."

Fox tracked the floating green eyed orb with both eyes. He pulled the pump of the weapon back and forward, "Don't mess with me."

"Of course not! I wouldn't dream of it! I would love to learn more about this breed, but there is just so little time. Perhaps later, we can…"

"Enough!" said the warrior, "Transport us to the Control Room."

"Hmm… I suppose we could, but there is one thing that you should know about the Control Room on this particular In..."

"What is that?" asked the Spartan.

"When this Installation zero-six was created, it had one major unanticipated design flaw. The Control Room has no protection from the Flood below."

Fox paused for a moment, "What do you mean?"

Helix whirled around the room and then flew right up to the fox's muzzle, "This means that the Flood do not have to breach the doors of the Control Room to enter it. They can simply come from underneath. The Forerunners architecture…"

John could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He and Fox both knew how many troops were stationed there. And if they had no protection from the Flood, then they would all become the zombies that were the warriors of the Gravemind.

"Chief," Cortana came in, "I'm picking up movement on the motion sensors. We have to get back to the Control Room now, and move everyone!"

Fox made sure that his weapon was full of rounds. He knew what was coming for him. And he knew that it would be one hell of a fight. From the end of the hall he could see a wave of something racing toward them. His heart went ecstatic.

There were so many of them, little green, spider-like balloon creatures racing toward him. He knew then, that he was now fighting the Flood. The Chief said that when he saw them, he would know. And now? Fox knew.

He waited until they were closer, then he fired. Killing one made a chain reaction occur. Many more popped like balloons. The stench they emitted was so powerful. It smelt like rotting flesh. He wouldn't dare let one get close to him, let alone touch him.

More raced toward him in a great wave. Fox armed a Fire Bomb Grenade and tossed it into the middle of the creatures. It exploded in a beautiful ball of yellow flame. The small beings burned and popped.

That took care of the little one's but now there was larger one coming at him. The Spartan used his MA5C to gun down the farther ones. But as they came closer, it was up to Fox and the M90. He waited until one was virtually touching the barrel of the gun. Then he fired.

The zombie had grossly mutated limbs. Mangy patches of grey fur were still visible. The creature's neck was slung back at a grotesque angle. The spray of lead dropped it to the floor.

Fox knew that it was time to start falling back. He and the Spartan were being overrun, "Chief! We gotta get out of here!" his heart was racing in fear. He looked down the hall again. One of them jumped toward him. It flew much farther then the Spartan did, easily. But as it came down, it was spilt it half by a single powerful spray of lead pellets.

"Hurry up Helix!"

"Please be patient. This takes time," said the floating orb. Fox looked over and saw the Spartan and the Monitor start to glow. But there was one problem, he wasn't. The Spartan and orb then disappeared, leaving Fox alone.

"Great!" Fox bit down on his lip. Another creature lunged at him from his left. He shot, and the monster went down. He brought the weapon up to his chest, pumped it, and brought it back up. He fired to his right. Yet another creature emitted a blood curdling scream and fell to the floor.

Fox pumped the action again. But instead of the satisfying shock, was a horrifying, "_Click._" One of the zombies jumped at landed in front of him. Fox spun the weapon around and slammed the butt of it into the stomach area of the thing that was once a hound Lylatian.

Fox could feel the weapon sink into its stomach, but if was completely ineffective. He jumped and rolled backward as the Flood warrior swung at him. By the time he came to his feet, he had his Battle Rifle out. He flicked the safety off, and pointed the weapon toward the creature's slung back head. He fired once, and expected the three round burst of 9.5mm rounds to knock it down. But it failed. The shells ripped through the patches of fur and green skin, and clean through the other side. He pulled the trigger four more times before the creature fell to its knees.

He turned his aim to acquire another target. He set the ridicule of the 55 to the center of the torso. He fired once at the new target before the first creature, he thought he had killed, leaped to its feet, to come back for more.

Fox was being pushed back. The red vulpine fired once more at the creature that got back up. Then the situation had gone FUBAR.

"Yeah! Screw this!" Fox threw the rifle at the zombie. In his right paw he armed the M6D and in the left he took the pin out of a Fragmentary Grenade. He rolled the grenade into the mass of the Flood, while shooting with his right. When holding the 12.7mm with one hand, it made the muzzle jump viscously. He shot uncontrollably at one target to the next. He didn't bother trying to kill any of them. He let the pistol drift from target to target as the slugs pounded into their marks, making little to no affect.

The pistol kicked his paw and the receiver opened as the empty magazine fell out. He quickly slammed a new mag into the pistol, backed into the door and let it slide shut. The Frag went off on the other end of the door. And Fox ran as if his life depended on it. Because it did.


	26. I Need You Right Now

**Ch. 26: I Need You Right Now**

1100 September 29, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

* * *

**X**

"Where is he Falco?" Krystal stood in front of the bird with her paws on her hips growing ever more impatient with the bird.

"Hey, relax alright? He's a bid kid. The boy can take care of himself for a while."

"That's not the point Falco!"

"Well then what is!?! I don't know what you're yelling at me for?!? What did I do?!?"

"I'm sorry ok? But I know you know something! Fox wouldn't just run off like that unless it was really," she stepped toward him, "really! Important!"

The bird stepped back, "Look! I don't know where he went! Why don't you ask that Spartan guy huh?"

The little blue fox looked into the eyes of the bird. She could tell that he knew something. The fox started to bear her fangs. Then she spun around and grabbed a pistol off from the cot. She searched under the cot for her shotgun. But it wasn't there. Instead, in its place was Fox's sniper rifle.

She swung the SA2 into her paws, "He took that too," she said impatiently.

"Whoa! Wait! Where do you think your going?"

"I'm going to find Fox."

"Uhh! Can't you just wait!?!"

"I can find him. I don't need your help."

Falco grabbed her by the shoulders, "Ok! All he told me that was he'd be back soon. He told me to tell you that he'd be ok."

Krystal looked at the bird, but remained silent.

"Ok!?!" he shook her.

Slippy jumped out of his bed, "He's been gone like this before. Fox always comes back. You know that."

"Yeah Krystal, Slippy is right," he turned back to the vixen, "Are you even listening to me!?!"

Krystal looked at Falco's beak. Everything was going in and out of focus. She blinked down hard and opened her eyes again, but the world was still fuzzy. And not just that, her head started to hurt.

"Krystal? Are you feeling ok?" Falco loosened his grip on her shoulders.

Krystal put her paw on her forehead, "Yes. I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. Maybe I'm just a little stressed out."

"Here, sit down," the avian hesitated for a moment, "Does your… uhh head hurt?"

"Hmm? Oh. Just a little bit," she shook her head, looked up, and smiled, "I'll be ok."

He remembered what Fox told him about Krystal. But before he could do anything about it was too late, "Krystal!" Falco jumped forward and caught her before she hit the floor, "Slippy! Get a medic or something!"

"Ok! I'm going!" the toad clumsily fell out of the cot and waddled down the ramp.

The bird lifted the fox up and placed her horizontal on the cot, "Hey. You gotta wake up."

As if on cue she opened her eyes, "Ohhh, my head! It hurts!"

Falco's heart raced. This must have been what Fox had warned him about, "Just don't move. Help is coming."

"Where's Fox?"

"Fox isn't here right now."

Her eyes were only open as slits and she talked weakly, "But, I need Fox."

"I told you. He'll be back soon."

"Fox? Where are you? Go find Fox."

Falco Lombardi leaned down and took a knee, "We've been through this Krystal."

"Fox!" she screamed, "Fox!"

"Shh! Hey! He's not here!"

"Fox!!! Where are you?!?" she started to cry. Both paws covered her head and distressed vixen began to whimper.

"Hey! Uhh!?! Where's that medic!?!"

"Fox!!! I need you!!! Help me!!!"

"Ok! That's enough!" the bird was getting irritated. Above all one thing he couldn't stand was whining. He put his wing over the muzzle of the blue vixen, "Be quiet… Ouch!" he pulled his wing away, "She bit me!"

She tried to get out of the cot, "Ow! My head! Help! Where are you Fox?!? Please Fox! Come back!" tears rolled down her face.

Falco pushed her back down to the cot. He flipped out, "Shut up! I don't wanna listen to you anymore! Just shut it!"

The vixen looked up at him baring her fangs and growing. Her eyes were red from tears, "Get away from me!" she struggled. A long time ago Krystal was also a warrior on her home planet of Cerinia. Falco backed off after receiving a swift punch to the beak, "Let me go!"

The bird held his beak but came back to pin her down. Falco pushed her shoulders down, "Look! I know you're a little unhappy right now, but Fox is not here. Do you understand that Krystal?"

The vixen's nose was wrinkled. She closed her eyes. When she opened them, there appeared to be a black glaze that coated them. She spoke with a godly tone, deep and dark. It echoed through the room. Slippy, a Lylatian medic, and others including Marines ran up just in time to see the blue vixen sit up in the cot.

"I," he voiced hissed, "I am the only will. The one that will consume all being and all life. Your souls will become my meal. Hahahaha, you, all of you, think you are safe within these walls. But I will break these barriers with ease. I… I will turn your own weapons against you. I will turn your own allies against you. And, I will turn your very own bodies, your very own souls against you."

The avian stood wide eyed, "Whoa."

The medic stepped beside the bird. He was stricken. He had no idea what to do. The dog took a small needle out of his case and held it one paw.

The godlike soul that had taken Krystal continued. It laughed menacingly, "Haha. There is no way for you to escape your inevitable defeat. You are my army… you just don't know it yet!" Krystal jumped up of her cot with the M6D pistol in her paws. She pointed it to the head of the avian.

Everyone who had a weapon raised it to Krystal.

"Hold on a sec!" Falco looked into Krystal's eyes, "I know you're a little upset. With me and the fact that Fox isn't here right now," he stepped forward.

"Don't move!" Krystal yelled. She was completely confused and disoriented. She still hadn't returned to her normal self.

"Krystal, just put down the gun."

The medic stepped forward and whispered to Lombardi, "I just need to get this into her system. It'll knock her out in seconds. I just need to get close enough."

Falco nodded, "Krystal. Fox is going to be back shortly. He's going to come and help you."

"Just calm down Krystal," Slippy added, "Fox…"

"I don't care! I…Agh!" the vixen screamed as a piercing pain pinched her in the neck. She didn't fire the pistol. She kept it square between Falco's eyes. Her paw started to shake, and then her paw went limp. The weapon fell from her grip onto the floor soon fallowed by Krystal.

No one even tried to catch her. The fox fell to the floor completely unconscious in a pile. Falco picked up the pistol that Krystal held moments before and placed it into his own holster, "Ok! Show is over! Everyone, out!" all the Marines and Lylatian soldiers filed down the ramp all whispering to each other.

The medic placed the syringe back into his case, "That'll keep her out for about two hours, a little more, a little less. It's kinda hard to tell in a situation like that."

"Yeah, thanks pal," Falco patted him on the back as he went off down the ramp.

Slippy stood paralyzed, "I hate it up here."

"Yeah, I hear that."

* * *

X

X

1700 September 29, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Suspected Covenant Weapons Cache, apx. 100 Meters below Halo Surface, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

Fox tripped to the floor. He spun around and while still on his back and fired the shotgun. The Flood warrior above him was ripped into two as the 8gauge round tore through it. Green blood sprayed back at the fox. He rolled away as the zombie growled and fell to where he had been.

Fox propped his back up against the wall. He thought it was hopeless. In the underground maze he had become lost. He tried to remember where he and the Spartan had traversed but everything looked the same after a while. He loaded another 8gauge round into the shotgun to make the internal magazine full. He sat to catch his breath.

It was now completely silent. Fox sighed and brought himself to his feet. He looked over the Flood warrior. The body was covered in a rubbery green-brown skin with patches of fur, and some fabric pieces of camouflage that were left of the uniform. Not to mention the gaping hole that had been left in it. Fox pulled out the cutting tool on his communicator. He turned quickly as a long growl was emitted from somewhere else in the temple.

Fox cut through the flesh. It was warm. In the chest cavity he could see where the Flood seed was. It gurgled and moved until the fox shot it with the pistol. He had learned a lot of the combative forms of the Flood. Sometimes they would get back up, and accuracy didn't seem to matter that much. Sheer firepower seemed to be the most effective.

The red vulpine had left the Battle Rifle behind a long time ago. And now all he had was the M90 shotgun and M6D magnum. The heavy slugs of the pistol did the job, but not when there were many of them.

But now, not only was Fox running low on ammo. Exhaustion was starting to set in. He kicked the dead body lightly. One thing the fox hoped for was that the Spartan was able to get back to the Control Room and warn everyone.

Another thing that kept running through his mind was, "_Man, Krystal is going to angry._"

He moved one paw over to his communicator and was about to turn it on, when he heard a deep thumping and rattling. It echoed through the hall ways. Fox knew that it was one sign of friendly forces so he ran for it.

He came up to a green illuminated door. It opened. In the large room he could see tracers flying toward one end. At the other there were growling and screaming Flood combative forms. Fox pulled out his pistol and starting shooting at the Flood. There was no way he could have contacted whoever was shooting. So he ran toward the guns.

Tracers and bullets flew to the left and right of him. But none locked on. They covered around him and Fox jumped over a large purple crate. Two hands grabbed his belt and pulled him over. Once that was done, the barking of the guns started again.

"Firing!"

"Yeah! That's another one down!"

Fox didn't even look to who was to the left and right of him. He put out his pistol and began sending the rounds down range. Each figure dropped. One after another. The vulpine concentrated his powerful slugs onto the larger targets while the automatic weapons tracked onto the small balloon, Flood infectious forms. Soon they stopped coming and once again, it was silent.

Fox leaned back down on the purple Covenant ammunition crate.

"Hey, are you…"

Fox put out his paw, "Captain Fox McCloud, Starfox."

"Whoa! Yeah!" a wolverine shook his paw, "I'm Private Dean."

Fox turned to the other person. It was an orange female cat, "I'm private Sienna. Thank god you're here. We're almost out of ammunition and we're lost."

Fox peeked over the crate. It was placed in a corner of the room and the small hideout was filled with bullet casings, "What happened? I saw the rest of Alpha."

The cat nodded, "Me and Dean here are the last ones. Everyone else has become… one of them."

"Who let them out?"

"Well Sir… we did."

Fox sighed, "I guess I'm too late."

"Sorry Sir! But we didn't know!" the wolverine's clip dropped from his MA5B and he slipped in a new one, "I got one more of these left."

The orange feline agreed, "I'm almost out too. Sir?"

Fox took the shotgun off of his back, "I got a few left for the magnum and probably a dozen shotgun rounds. We have to find a way out of her."

"I know, but we don't know where we are. The rest of Alpha is topside and if we can get there they can give us some cover so we can get out."

Fox bit his tongue, "Not as much as you think."

"What do you mean?" asked Dean.

"The rest of Alpha fell back. We're the last ones."

The cat and wolverine were silent for a second.

Fox tried to boost their attitude, "But if we can get topside, there will be a Warthog there waiting for us."

The wolverine pulled the action of the MA5B back, "Well, we're going to have to get of here some how. Man! I just wish we weren't lost!"

Fox looked around the room. Above them was a familiar blue bridge of plasma, "Wait, I know where we are," Fox pointed up, "All we have to do is get up there. Or break through that door."

"And how?"

Fox jumped back over the cover with his weapon at paw, "All we have to do is move this crate the other way and we can climb up it."

The two listened to the fox. And soon their cover was gone. The wolverine helped the fox up and in turn they all got to the top. They quickly ran across the bridge of plasma to the other side. He just made it across when from where they had just come, was a large explosion.

Combative Flood forms gurgled and ran toward them. Sienna and Dean let out the spray of lead. Fox pressed the button. The Flood that were on the bridge of plasma fell to the bottom floor. Dean fired at them.

Fox grabbed him by the shoulder and started pulling him backwards, "Come on! There's no time for that!"

The Private fired a few more short bursts and followed through the door behind Fox and Sienna. In the next room Fox led as he jumped down from the top floor to the bottom. The other two soldiers soon followed. Fox knew that he was in the right place now, and after a few more corridors they found themselves at the platform.

The squad jumped onto it. Fox pressed the same button he had used to bring the elevator down. Sienna fired her SMG as the Flood poured through the open door. The elevator started to ascend. The three soldiers fired their weapons, repelling the zombies from the elevator.

"Keep them away!"

"Low on ammo!"

Fox pulled out the pin on the Fire Bomb Grenade. He let the lever go, and tossed it. The grenade contacted a combat form in the chest. It immediately caught on fire along with the ones around it. More came through the door, but they disappeared beneath the elevator. Everyone reloaded their weapons.

"Save your ammo," said Fox, "concentrate your fire and make every bullet count."

"Yes Sir."

"Understood Sir."

Fox pumped the action of the M90, "Ok, expect resistance at the top. The Flood have already spread a lot. Lock and load!"

"So that's what you call them?"

"What do you mean?" Fox asked.

"Flood?"

Fox nodded, "Yeah but it doesn't matter."

The elevator came to the top and Fox was correct. He locked onto one target after another. The shotgun thundered and it tore through its opposition. He killed one Flood that possessed a BR55. The form held it as if it were a pistol, but didn't get time to fire it as the spray of led contacted it. It fired the weapon into the air as it fell.

"There's no time for this!" Fox yelled as he shot the last round of his shotgun. \

"We're getting over run!"

Fox quickly plucked the Battle Rifle from the green paws of the dead zombie. Fox fired it into the chest of the next form that contacted him. It took a little longer but it was better then nothing.

"On me!" shouted Fox. He ran up the hallway and out the door. The fox saw a rocket launcher that was left behind. He dropped the BR and swiped the rocket. When they came to the Warthog, Fox leaned down beside the rear tire. He put the rocket over his shoulder.

"Fox?!? What are you doing?!? Get in!" the wolverine hopped into the driver's seat.

"Hold on a sec!" Fox set the short range scope onto the opening of the underground temple. He squeezed the trigger. The 102mm rocket tore the air leaving a trail of smoke behind it as the ordinance slammed into the opening. It made a chain reaction as other plasma batteries went off around it. Fox fired the remaining rocket. This time it hit a Flood in the leg.

The form flew through the air and slid past Fox, dead. The vulpine looked at the smoldering entrance. But more started to file out and run toward them.

"No," Fox whispered. He jumped onto the M41 that was on the rear of the LRV, "Drive!"

"Yes Sir!"

The barrels of the M41 began to spin. Fox could feel his teeth rattle as the armor piercing rounds fired and hit their targets. The dozens of rounds ripped through the flesh and fur of the Flood as the Warthog drove away.


	27. Turning Point

Authors note: Yo. I'd like to thank _HAL 10000 _for the name of Echo Halo's monitor. And _IgnornantOne _for giving me a hand with some editing. (Even Though it's still probably not perfect. Sorry about the delayed update. The last few weeks have been extremely busy for me, but, I'm back now and thanks all for reading.

One more thing is that, readers of **Rouge Fox Armageddon Soul **are going to have to wait. With my schedule it becomes really hard to update both, so, that story will be sitting there until this one is complete.

**X **

* * *

**Ch. 27: Turning Point**

1720 September 29, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

The Spartan could feel every piece of his being assemble. The Human could feel an electrical presence all over his body as each and every atom came back into its rightful place. The Chief looked around; he was back in the Control Room of Echo Halo.

"Chief?" a Marine asked, his head cocked.

The Spartan nodded toward the man and took off running. He knew that he had to warn them, and that he had to warn everyone about the Flood and they were coming. He pushed through Lylatians and Humans alike.

"Move!" the Chief ordered as he shoved his way through the crowd of military personnel; both Cornerian and UNSC alike. But unfortunately he made the mistake of touching an angry vixen.

"Hey! You!"

The Spartan winced behind his helmet before he came to a stop and then spun around. Despite Cortana nagging him too keep moving towards the command post.

Krystal's muzzle was pulled back into a snarl. Her white fangs were almost glowing in the soft blue light from the surrounding illuminants. She spoke slowly, and seriously, "Where is he?"

"I don't have time for this right now."

The vixen stepped foreword and placed her paw on his chest plate, her menacing tone doing nothing to faze the augmented human. Krystal let out a low growl, "Make some."

The hardened soldier's head tilted in a show of bewilderment but he kept his voice its usual deep, flat baritone, "He stayed behind."

A confused and angry look came over the vixen's face, "What do you mean he… hey! Stop! Get back here!"

The Spartan knew that he didn't have anytime for this right now. John spun on his heel and proceeded on his run of survival. He kept his quick gait until he reached the end of the massive hallway. He bolted through the rooms that separated the segments. The Master Chief looked up and he could see the ceiling above the end of the Control Room. The man moved with superhuman speed, but his boots didn't make a sound as the touched the metallic floor of the structure.

"Sir!" the Spartan ran up to a panel where Cornerian and UNSC officers were standing and talking to a green orb.

Captain Mitchell of the UNSC Horror Frost smiled at the sight of the Spartan. The Marines always had that safe feeling when the Spartan came around or into the fight. The soldier gave them hope, "Master Chief."

"Sir," the Spartan shot a crisp solute "We have to…"

Apologetic Helix circled around the armored man, "Ah! Reclaimer! How nice of you to join us in our discussion!"

John ignored the monitor, "Captain Sir, we have to get everyone out of here, right now."

The Captain tapped his pipe against his chin, eyes narrowing, and his tone deepening; questioning, "What are you talking about Chief?"

"Sir if I may?" the Chief's artificial intelligence butt in.

The Captain nodded his head and set his smoldering pipe down on the alien panel before he gestured for Cortana to continue with a dip of his hand.

"Thank you Sir. The Chief is right. We have to get everyone out of here right now."

Captain Mitchell took a deep breath before he picked up his pipe again, "Why is this Cortana? What's the danger? Helix has brought us up to speed on everything that we should be aware of."

"Oh really?" Cortana slung her words, in John's mind he could see her crossing her arms, "Did he tell you that the Flood are going to be knocking on our back door here any minute?"

The UNSC Captain took a puff of his pipe. He stared right into the single green eye of Echo Halo's Installation monitor, his voice turned gruff, "He failed to tell us that part."

"Indeed he did," Cortana continued, "Apparently this particular Halo has a design flaw."

"What kind of design flaw?" Mitchell cocked his head to the side, eyes locked on Helix. His jaw tightened. The Horror Frost CO knew he wasn't going to like the news.

"Sir, it is the kind that kills everyone inside the Control Room. Helix says that the Forerunners didn't exactly make a barrier to protect the Control Room from the Flood below, which means that they can simply attack us, and the Chief and I both know that they have been released. It could be a matter of minuets before they find their way through the underground maze. If they get here before we can evacuate, Captain, I estimate that our chances of survival will range from seven to nine percent, depending on a number of critical variables, including reaction time, armament, combat experience with the Flood…as well as many other factors. And from what the Chief and I saw, only our Marines are armed with the experience of fighting the Flood."

The hound Commander Keeding took a step forward, "You failed to mention that Helix. Is this true?"

The orb circled around for a moment more and paused before it stared at the officers, his green light illuminating the canine Commander, "…More or less. Actually this Installation…"

The Spartan refused to listen to the monitor anymore, "Sir, we have to move, now!"

They were all cutoff by an ear piercing screech. It echoed through every square inch of the Control Room. Then it was completely silent. Not a sound was made from anyone. The guards at the front doors were silent, the Marines were silent and the Cornerians were silent. They all waited for something to happen. But it didn't come.

Helix spun around, "See! We must activate the ring now and control this outbreak before it escapes this Installation!"

"That's not going to happen," said the Spartan. Cortana knew her part now. She hacked her way into the Spartan's armor. The Mark VII's shields discharged, sending and EMP pulse in all directions. The monitor sparked in the air and fell to the floor. The green light went out and there it lay motionless.

Cortana assessed her actions, "There, that'll shut him up for a while. It will only be effective for a short period of time."

Another scream echoed through the Control Room. And after, once again everyone was silent, waiting.

Captain Mitchell broke the silence, "Everyone, out now! Move!"

Marines around them worked; and an ODST complete with his combat gear grabbed a passing Lylatian platoon leader by the front of his armor, "Lieutenant, I want you to gather your squad and have them set up checkpoints and barricades every thirty meters down this hallway! Load 'em out with bullet hoses, and shotguns. Full close quarters combat kit, and load your boys up with plenty of grenades. No rifles, no sniper rifles. You'll just be wasting valuable ammo. And one more thing! Watch out, the little balloon mother f--kers! They like to crawl along the ceiling, so watch the vents and double check your corners!"

The Human trooper ruffled the feline Lieutenant's head fur and moved to the center of the room. The feline went to his given task, "You heard it! Let's get everybody out of here! Spread the word!" the sounds had the feline spooked, "You are all weapons free! Fire at will!"

"Yis Sir!"

"Weapons hot! You got it Lieutenant!"

* * *

X

X

1740 September 29, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Suspected Covenant Weapons Cache, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

Fox pulled the trigger of the M41. Armor piercing rounds tore through the flesh and fur of their targets. The tracers cut the air of the swamp. Mist splashed up from the front tires and over Fox. The moisture beaded on his fur, as his ears twitched at the thundering of the high powered weapon.

"Hold on!" Private Dean spun the steering wheel of the Warthog with one paw.

It made a sharp left hook. The lugs spat dirt behind the hog as the wolverine stepped on the accelerator. The LRV caught grip and sped toward the hill that Fox had come down earlier in the day. He could even see the skid marks from when he had slid down with the Spartan and the Cornerian Sergeant.

The wolverine pushed down the accelerator more. Fox bent at his knees and held on. He let go of the trigger and grasped the handles of the turret. The Warthog took off up the hill. It was just as wet as it had been when he had come down. Except now, they had speed.

The tires dug into the grassy mud. They spat dirt high into the air. Fox spun the M41 around to point down the hill. He hoped that the Flood wouldn't be able to go in the direct sunlight; after all, he had never seen them there before. But he was wrong. Warriors ran, leaped and limped up the slippery slope.

Now there were less Lylatian zombies and different kinds. He could see huge ones. He thought that those were the Brute forms. But there were different kinds too. They had a bulbous body and after they received a few rounds they would fall to the ground and explode. From their corpse, about a dozen of the little infectious balloon forms would emerge and those were the ones that worried him the most.

Fox pulled down the trigger. The three barrels began to spin and in another moment a hell fire erupted from their muzzles. The rounds plowed into their targets and from the corner of his eye the fox could see something floating beside the LRV. The vulpine turned the weapon to direct the fire at the closer objects.

"Wait!" Sienna stopped him before he started firing again, "Look Captain! They're shooting at the Flood!"

Fox double checked, and it was true. The floating metallic figures hissed as they shot a beam of pure light toward the Flood warriors. The light cut through the zombies, and even in the fresh air, McCloud gagged at the stench of the burning flesh and fur. The objects reminded him of the monitor, the one that left him behind. These ones were bigger though, and had small sheets of metal that stuck out like shields.

"What are they?" Fox yelled over the noise on the prowling engine.

"Who knows, but they're helping!"

Fox could feel the Warthog start to slow and sway from side to side as it lost its grip. The wolverine struggled to keep it straight. Then it spun out and stopped. The wolverine pressed the break. It slid backwards, slowing, until it caught traction. Everyone on board the LRV froze.

"Don't move," the wolverine slowly reached and turned the key off.

"What do we do?" the orange cat whispered.

Fox looked down the hill. At the bottom the zombies struggled to get up the mucky slope. He didn't dare fire the weapon, in fear that it would jerk the hog enough to make it slide down the hill and into their deaths. The floating objects shot their lazars and more were cut down. He turned his head to the top of the hill. It was just out of reach by less then ten meters.

"I'm gonna try to drive it."

"No! I have an idea," Fox stopped the driver.

The cat looked at him, "What are you doing!?"

"Just don't move guys! If we jerk this thing too much, then we're," Fox looked at the bottom of the slimy canyon," We're dead."

The vulpine tiptoed from the back of the Warthog. He gulped and jumped off. His feet immediately fell out from under him and he started to slide down the hill. He flopped around and dug his fingers into the mud. Soon he stopped, and it took the vulpine another few minuets to work his way back up to where the Warthog was. When he got the front, the fox turned the winch mounted to the front of the LRV to the freewheel setting. He set the clip onto his belt and began to climb the hill.

Soon he made it to the top and by then he was covered in mud. But he didn't care. The nearest tree he saw, he ran to and wrapped the wire around it. Now all he had to do, was disengage the freewheel on the winch so the Warthog will be able to climb the rest of the hill.

He started to make his way down the hill until his boots lost grip. He started to slide in the mud again. He gained speed until he slammed into the grill of the LRV and flew over the hood and onto the windshield. That sudden movement was all the Warthog needed to start gliding down the hill.

The feline's eyes were wide as they would go, "Captain! Get the winch activated!" she stood in her seat and fired her SMG down the hill. The small rounds showered the ground, but at the range, little of the 5mm shells reached their targets.

The dazed Fox McCloud sprung into action. He felt the engine of the LRV come to life as he crawled across the hood. He leaned down over the grill and turned the dial on the side of the winch. It caught and the sliding reconnaissance vehicle straightened out and came to an abrupt halt. The fox skimmed across the hood and over the windshield. He landed on the two soldiers inside the hog.

The wolverine patted him on the shoulder, "Yeah! Alright Captain!"

Fox was coated in mud, "We aren't out of this yet. Let's bring it up!" The cat helped him up and to the rear of the hog. The fox's boots grinded down the box of the hog until he caught the mounted weapon.

"Yes-Sir!" Dean said, as if it were one word.

He placed his paw on the control. The front of the LRV began to hum and the winch pulled them up the slope, leaving the Flood warriors at the bottom. It was lucky that those metallic objects came to control the warriors and keep them at the bottom of the hill. But, Fox knew that they would get out, and spread underground if they couldn't get over top.

Sienna hopped out of the hog and unhooked the winch, "Well done Captain!"

"Yeah Cap! I would have never done that!"

The soaked and dirty Fox chuckled, "Just another part of being a hero. Let's head to the base."

"You got it!" the high spirited wolverine put the pedal to the floor. The Human vehicle spat dirt into the air before the lugs caught.

Fox was almost thrown off the turret, "Easy!"

"Sorry Cap!"

"So," Private Sienna settled back into her seat, "Where are we going?"

Fox fell to his knees and placed his head between the two Lylatian soldiers. He used his elbows on the roll bars to keep himself steady, "There is a post a little ways down this trail. Just keep following the tracks."

"Thanks for saving us Sir," said the cat.

The fox smiled, "It's my job."

"Hey McCloud," Dean poked at the radar, "I don't mean to ruin the celebration but we got something coming up on scanners here. Check it out."

McCloud stared at the blip on the radar. In another moment he pulled away and placed himself back on the turret, "It just never ends does it?" the base of the weapon hissed as Fox spun it around.

"Guess not," Sienna snatched Dean's rifle and slipped the last magazine he had into it, "Get ready."

Fox armed his machinegun, "Let's do it."

Dean glanced at the radar, "Ok! One hundred meters and closing!"

Fox looked into the sky. From over a rocky ledge, he could see a purple craft, "Phantom!"

"Open up on it!"

Fox tapped the trigger and then let it go, sending a controlled burst of bullets toward the Covenant, "Wait until they get closer! Ugh! Try to drive us into hiding!"

"Sir!" the hog did a fishtail and sped toward the rocks. But the Covenant dropship was hot on their tails.

Fox widened his footing and pulled the trigger. The whole LRV rumbled as the M41 unleashed its power. The armor piercing rounds left a yellow tracer in the air. The Phantom began to take hits. But it also fired back. Screaming balls of yellow plasma emitted from its turrets, and flew toward them. The hog dodged from left to right, while Fox fired the gun in, now controlled bursts.

Soon the Phantom was directly above them. Fox didn't let up now. His arms rumbled with the vibration of the high powered rounds. He focused his line of fire on one of the three turrets. Soon it exploded and fell in front of the LRV. The driver swerved to avoid it.

Then the Covenant ship did something really questionable. It flew off in front of them and passed the three soldiers in the vehicle.

The wolverine was ecstatic, "We did it! We won!"

"It's not over," the feline noticed the Phantom slow down. The Covenant ship lowered its troops to the ground from a blue hatch on its belly.

Dean kept the accelerator down, "Hold on! We're going clean through!"

Fox hid behind the turret. Plasma rounds splashed over while huge spikes ricochet off the windshield. Fox peaked up over the roll bars. The last thing he saw was Private Dean aiming for the largest of all the troops and the vulpine recognized it to be a Chieftain Brute. He held a large hammer and swung it down just in front of the LRV.

The machine flipped through the air. Fox was tossed off the weapon, he saw ground, then sky, then ground again and landed in the dry grass in a daze. He felt the warmth of the luscious green grass in the sun, but he could also feel the heat of fire. All he could see was green in front of his muzzle. Slowly he brought himself to stand after sliding. But he was immediately knocked down again.

The vulpine saw the blue sky of Halo as he was plucked from the ground. He was being held by the scruff of his vest and was turned to be faced eye to eye with a hairy and ugly Brute. The Brute's breath was horrible and it had a stench of rotting flesh. Fox's however, was racing as he panted. He had never been so scared in his life.

The Lylatian Captain listened in horror as he heard a scream, "No!!" then two separate slapping sounds of plasma.

The fox struggled. He slipped out of his muddy, silver vest. He ran for a moment before the Brute had grabbed him again. It held him in the air with one of its massive hands and roared. Then with the other hand it reached for its weapon. He lowered Fox and held a weapon with a bayonet on the front to the fox's chest.

Fox was so scared a tear came to his eye. He panted heavily, closed his eyes and waited for death. But it didn't come.

"Halt!" the fox heard.

The Brute looked away from his hostage, "But! Your…"

"But nothing!" the Chieftain roared, "Drop it!"

On cue Fox was dropped to the ground. The muddy vest was thrown over his head and he scrambled to place it back on. He looked up to see an even bigger Brute. It was dressed in valiant and elaborate armor. Large shoulder plates and elbow flashes flared out. The helmet was long and slender with elegant markings. It didn't look like any Chieftain, this one looked special.

The Chieftain Brute plucked the vulpine and yet again he was off the ground, "This one, is important."

Fox didn't say anything. He was paralyzed by fear. His paw trembled as he reached for his M6D sidearm.

The Brute shifted its head, "Are you the one they call… _Fauxs_?"

The vulpine nodded.

The huge Brute laughed. He stripped away the weapons the hostage had on his back and the M6D pistol. Fox glance to the right with his eyes only. He could see one orange paw and a red liquid. The fox then received a blow to head and it knocked him out cold. He body was limp in the huge alien's hand.

Ricorus held the fox closer to his face, "A bloody fate awaits you and the rest of your race. The first piece of the puzzle is secure! The Flood has been released! Come! We must hurry! All we need now is the Sacred Icon… and the Blue One."


	28. Boxed In

Auther's note: Heh, Bet you've been waiting for this for a while...

Keep it Open,

**X**

* * *

**Ch. 28: Boxed In**

1550 September 30, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Everyone. Mount up, and get the hell out of here, now!" Krystal's heart leapt as an ODST ran into the room, "Grab your weapons and as much ammo as you can carry! Evac in five! Move!"

"Evac?" Slippy asked in question.

"What's going on!?" Falco demanded. The avian grabbed the human's shoulder, trying to stop the Orbital Drop Shock Troop. The Human shrugged his hand off and turned to face the room's occupants, slapping a fresh magazine into his MA5C before placing it onto his back and dropping a quarter empty clip from his SMG. The ODST reloaded the bullet hose and placed it onto his side holster before redrawing his assault rifle.

"It's the Flood amigos, and if you want to get out of here alive, then you'll be on the deck and in the next Pelican out of this death trap in two minuets! Move out! NOW!!" The ODST shouted the last word at the top of his lungs and stepped out into the hallway before grabbing a passing Lylatian trooper's Battle Rifle and ammo. The human stripped off his SMG and his ammo; stuffing the weapon into his paws, "Does _anyone_ listen to orders around here?!"

The frightened fox spun around on her heels as the door shut behind her, "What's happening? We have to wait for Fox!"

Falco and Slippy packed up all they could carry. The avian rolled the rocket over his shoulder until it clicked onto the magnetic clamp before he hefted the MA5B into his wings; rolling a bandoleer of ammunition and grenades around his waist and his chest, "The Flood, and if it has got that hard-ass yelling, then I don't want to stick around and find out what they are. Come on Krystal, you heard him. We have to leave."

"But! But what about Fox?!"

"_But! But! But!_" Falco mocked the vixen, "Come on Krystal. You heard that guy!"

The occupants of the room stood stiff as a scream echoed through the Control Room, quickly followed by a multiple weapon reports; the rattle of SMGs, and deep thumps of a shotguns. Hammering sounds and explosion's came from the distance that was the far end of the Control Room.

Krystal quickly threw on her ammunition belt, holster, and grabbed the pistol and sniper rifle that Fox had left her with, before Falco grabbed her by the paw and dragged her out of the small room. When they came down the ramp, troops were filing down the halls toward the exit. They doubled in front of each other. Some covered the doors as more pilled through.

Team Starfox joined into the crowd. They kept hearing reports over the Marine's radios;

"They've breached the second line!"

"Hold them back! Come on! Come on! Keep moving!"

"They're coming through the vents!"

"No! No! Use the 5mms!"

Krystal stopped walking. She slipped away from the rest of Starfox in the crowd. But by the time Slippy noticed, it was too late. Krystal started heading the wrong way. She opened the door to expose the main hall; it was in complete chaos.

The last of the surviving Marines and Lylatians fired their weapons and tossed grenades at what Krystal could only perceive to be as mindless warriors; living husks. For some reason, she recognized them. Like they all had been a part of her. But she could also sense that there was something wrong with them.

From each of the creatures, she could sense the thoughts of the bodies that they consumed. She could feel their memories and thoughts of their families and loved ones, and the collage of stray thought waves saddened and hurt her. The warriors didn't want to be there, they wanted their memories and their bodies back. But both physically and mentally each was drifting farther away from themselves.

But it wasn't the Flood forms that she was working looking for. She was looking for something else. She was looking for someone else, and she could sense him. She knew he was still here.

A Lylatian Lieutenant grabbed her by the shoulder. The feline shouted at her, "Come on! You've got to get out of here!"

The vixen blinked, glanced at him with her eyes only, and ignored him, she didn't budge.

A hound spun around with his back to the wall. The SMG in his paws rattled as the muzzle of the weapon walked upwards into the air due to the weapons recoil, "Come on Sir! She's not listening!"

Anther Lylatian feline ran past, this one a female, "Sir! She's screwed! Leave it!"

Krystal had an expressionless look on her face. As the others fell back, she lifted the SA2. She aimed it on the torso of one of the many enemies and fired. The high velocity shell passed clean through, punching a fist sized hole in its abdomen. But the warrior still stood. She fired at it three more times, to empty the rifle; but it was still standing.

The weapon fell from her paws as she let drop to the floor, now wielding her magnum. Without firing a single shot, the warrior was cut down; a noxious pool of green blood crept towards her feet. A human in jade armor jumped over the body. The Spartan held a 5mm SMG in each one of his hands. Krystal's eyes widened in reorganization of the figure, and soon all thoughts of the mindless abominations around her ceased as she focused all her anger on this soul individual.

"You! What did you do with Fox!?"

The Spartan was calm as usual, looking away for a moment to unload the rest of the machine pistols into two combat forms who were about to deal a finishing blow to a Cornerian Marine.

"This isn't the time," he said, his monotone reply accompanied by two clicks as fresh magazines were slid into place. A Marine scrambled past the Chief and Krystal as he beat a hasty retreat into the adjoining hallway.

The blue vixen's muzzle curled upwards into a snarl; her arm cut through the thick air in a dismissive gesture, "We're not going anywhere until I find out what happened to him!"

Cortana assessed what was happening in and around the base, "John, we have to get out, right now. There's… wait. We've got another problem!" The tactical AI's voice grew edgy, frantic; panicking almost, "Chief! The Covenant is attacking outside! E-everybody is being cut down! A few Pelicans have made it out! There's only a couple more Pelicans on the deck! Chief, if we are going to leave. I suggest that we move, right now Spartan!"

"Spartan!" Krystal's outburst refocused the Master Chief Petty Officer's gaze.

"Chief!" both Cortana and Krystal nagged him.

John made his decision. The human took her M6D and holstered it and handed her his automatic bullet hose. He then scooped up the blue fox and slung her over his shoulder. The human held onto the vixen by the small of her back with his left hand. Leaving his right free to use his SMG, "I want you to fire at anything that gets close to us. If things get that bad, use the shotgun."

Krystal squirmed against his back momentarily as he bound down one hallway to the next; the speed he was rushing at was a little disorienting. Throughout the thirty second trip she didn't fire the Spartan's SMG once; there wasn't a need to, John eliminated everything in front of him and out-ran the opposition behind them. The vixen heard a mechanical whirr as a door opened up and they pair came to an abrupt stop.

The blue vulpine examined her surroundings and realized that they were in a large hallway chock full of Marines. Medics scrambled around and tended to the wounded that managed to make it out of the firefight that was the LZ. And that was when Krystal realized that she was in a _very_ undignified position; her cheeks heated, tail curled between her legs, and her ears flattened against her skull, her muzzle fell into a frown. She wanted to cry. _Nothing, _was going her way.

She washed the feeling away and thrashed against his back, slamming the handle of the SMG onto the thick plates of his back and boots onto his chest; the Spartan didn't flinch. "Agh! Put me down now you….you BRUTE!!"

John frowned at this remark behind his helmet, his monotonous baritone sounding out through the external speakers, "Don't compare me to them," The Spartan then ignored the scathing reply from the vixen over his shoulder, "Cortana?"

In his mind he could see her sitting on a floor of his conscience, palms covering her face, "The whole fleet is being killed! Even if we can get out there and stop the assault there wouldn't be enough operable Pelicans that we could use to evacuate everyone… I-I don't…I don't know what to do."

* * *

X

X

1200 Units, (Covenant Military Calendar) Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

Yaani growled, drew his arm back and thrust the sword through the canine Marine's chest. The intense heat of the weapon forced the air from the mammal's lungs. The Elite scoffed in satisfaction as the infidel's primitive weapon sailed from its grasp; letting out a breathless scream. The warrior let the body slide off of his blade; in all the confusion, it didn't matter, because no one would notice a missing soldier. The only issue that he had was being spotted; if his active camouflage failed in this firefight, then he would be at the mercy the directed airborne projectiles, and explosives.

He depressed the activation stud of the weapon and watched as the blade of energy dissipated into small bright particles before fading out completely. He crept around the edges of the balcony, and slid behind a large bulkhead before deactivating his camouflage; he wanted his stealth system cooled and operating at one-hundred percent. While Yaani speculated that he didn't need assistance, the Ship Master sent the other Spec Ops elite behind him, Zuterio. He nodded in satisfaction as the less experienced but still more then formidable soldier followed his lead and duplicated his actions.

From their elevated position the pair scanned the battlefield below; searching. They were after something, or someone, or both.

* * *

X

X

1601 September 30, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

Falco spotted the Human warrior cradling Krystal over his back, with her squirming, "Hey! Put her down you creep!"

The Spartan turned his head toward the avian. He didn't let Krystal down easy. He just dropped her in front of the remaining members of Starfox. He then took back his SMG and returned her sidearm.

The vixen took the proffered M6D from the super solider. She then took a firing stance and pointed it at the chest of the Spartan. Krystal's body shook with anger as she spoke, "I'm getting really tired of you."

The human once again ignored her and began to weave through the crowd of military personnel. He stopped in front of an ODST sitting against a wall, his arm missing. John looked at him and to the Marine's weapon. The man chuckled and held the MA5C up to the Chief, "Take it Chief, as you can see, I wont be using it any time soon. Just give me something to shoot stuff with and I will call it a fair trade."

John picked up the weapon and placed his M6D in the trooper's outstretched hand. The super solider removed the shotgun and then reattached; allowing him to place the assault rifle next to 8gauge scattergun. Spartan-117 turned towards the door, but turned back to the ODST when the Marine spoke, "Chief, can I have that back when you're done? I want to hang it above my fireplace," The trooper laughed but it tapered down into a coughing fit. John nodded and headed towards the door.

The Master Chief rearmed himself with his SMGs. He nodded to the troops keeping the door to the flight deck closed and took of running, past the doors once they opened and onto the flight deck. It was in complete chaos. It was lined with the dead of Covenant, and Marines both UNSC and Lylatian. Worse yet, very few Pelican's remained in operable condition.

The Spartan looked all around the area as he assessed the situation. The allied forces managed to hastily construct a defensive line out of empty weapons crates in the opening minutes of the assault. The Marines managed to hold the line fairly well, but the number of Phantoms entering the hanger bay was increasing, and at this rate, the line would collapse.

John shifted the SMG in his hands and leaped on top of a large crate. A powerful jump propelled the Spartan into the air, letting the Covenant troops have it with both barrels. Multiple Grunts and Jackals with exposed flanks fell under the hail of hot lead. He landed on top of a fleeing Grunt, a half ton of solider crushed the pawn, his boots caving the methane tank inwards.

There was a loud hiss that was escaping the armor. The Spartan looked down, "Methane," he thought to himself as kicked the Grunt's lifeless form in front of a shield wall, which created by a dozen of Jackals to protect the troops offloading of the Phantoms.

The naval warrior dropped to his knee as emptied the rest of his SMGs into the dead grunt, and was rewarded when the methane exploded in a bright gout of blue and white flame. The explosion engulfed the Jackals and the landing party; sending their smoldering bodies scattering across the floor. The Phantom was mostly unfazed by the blast, but it had lost its turrets and exited without delay, still smoldering in the air with a drip of blue sparks.

Instead of wasting precious time reloading the weapons, John discarded them and reached onto the back of his belt and primed two fragmentation grenades before tossing them both into a squad of Brutes exiting a Phantom. The Spartan didn't wait to see the damage done by his explosives as he un-slung his MA5C and unloaded a quarter of his clip into a green armored Grunt priming a plasma grenade. The grunt fell in a pool of its own blood, and the grenade went off. The explosion killed all but the commander that had managed to roll to safety.

The super solider sprinted towards the Elite as it was recovering from its evasive maneuver. John unloaded the rest of his clip and watched as it's shields collapsed. Once he reached the Minor, he let loose a melee that caught the warrior across the throat, instantly crushing the cartilage. The Elite went down clutching its neck, gasping for air. John scooped up a plasma grenade before priming it and lobbing it across the exposed hanger, watching in satisfaction as the explosive adhered to a Jackal sniper. The creature squawked in surprise and promptly exploded.

Plasma fire from Grunts raked across his shields, dropping them down to half. John dove behind a sturdy crate and he cursed himself for his temporary carelessness. The Spartan slammed a fresh magazine into his assault rifle and pulled the charging lever as he waited for his barrier to recharge.

* * *

X

X

1605 September 30, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

Krystal lowered the gun as the human ran off, and out the doors. She snarled, holstering her sidearm, "I'm gonna kill him," a crazy look tinged in her eye as a dissatisfied look flowed across her face.

Slippy chuckled in amusement, "Who? The Spartan or Fox?"

Krystal narrowed her eyes and growled, her hackles rising, "Both of them."

Falco rested the MA5B on the edge of the blast door and fired the weapon into the carnage that was the main hall, scything fire across numerous Infection forms, "I wish I had an Arwing. I mean come on! We could have kicked some serious ass! Those drop ships wouldn't have even made it off of the carriers before they would have been turned to space dust!"

Marines fired their weapons around the edge of the doorway. The remaining troops in the Control Room were getting boxed in between the Covenant offensive and the mindless charges of Flood. Things weren't looking too hot. In order to help out, Slippy went around the room and collected ammo to bring to the Marines defending the Flood controlled hallway.

Amidst the chaos, Krystal noticed a small orb listlessly floating around, humming to itself, "Hey! Helix!" she remembered its name from eavesdropping in on the conversation between the officers and the Spartan.

The monitor spun around and chuckled, its green eye lit up, "Oh! Hello!"

"I know that you have information on Fox!" it was unfortunate that the monitor of the Echo Halo wasn't organic, or she would just have taken the information right out its mind. However, it did have a thought wave of some kind, just like ROB and Cortana too. Nothing she could hack into, or not yet anyways.

Slightly puzzled, the monitor circled her head before hovering just inches from her muzzle, "Who is this 'Fox'?"

The vixen's ears flattened and her voice took on an angry and impatient tone yet again, "He was with the Spartan."

"Oh! When the Flood were released! I left him there. He didn't seam important to the mission at hand, and I just don't have the capacity to transport two beings at once," Apologetic Helix came even closer to Krystal's muzzle, just centimeters from her nose, "Hmm. You are very similar to that being. But, you are different from the rest of them. You are unique! I would like to study you farther. It seems that…"

"Never mind me!" the fox snapped back, "What about Fox!?"

"Ahh, is that his name? It's very strange that its name would be the same as…"

Krystal was growing ever more impatient with the monitor, "Get on with it!"

"Oh! My apologies! Um-hm," the orb of steel floated around Krystal for another moment, "How unfortunate, I can no longer detect his vital signs. Perhaps the Flood have taken him. However, I can defiantly tell that he is no longer alive, not in his organic form anyways. Oh well, just another death on the toll."

Krystal's eyes widened, "Wh-What? Are you sure? He's dead."

The monitor acted happy, "Yes! Positively! Now we must find someone to activate Halo and control this pandemic!"

* * *

X

X

1230 Units, (Covenant Military Calendar) Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

Yaani and Zuterio crouched on the edge of the balcony. The subordinate Elite Zuterio nodded his head, "Look, Brother."

"It is him. It is the Demon," the leader of the two warriors took a standing position.

"Hold!"

"I am the leader and therefore, I will give the orders!"

"But Brother, look. It is, the Blue One."

"I do not see the significances of this… thing. But the holy Oracle! There!"

"You see Brother! The Blue One is the key to Halo. The Blue one is the key to the Great Journey!"

Yaani growled, "What of Demon?"

"The Demon isn't of our concern right now! We need that one! And the Oracle!"

"Then that's our new objective. I will take Oracle. You get the Blue One. Keep in mind, we only have one chance. Do not fail me."

* * *

X

X

1615 September 30, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Fire!" Sergeant Major Johnson pulled the receiver of the machinegun back. The Pelican he was aboard circled the Control Room. He spoke through the comm. system, "Any officers down there! Get the rest of your troops to the Pelicans! Dieppe four-nineteen is here for cover! Move!"

Sergeant Johnson pulled down the trigger. The weapon mounted to the rear of the troop bay fired. He used the weapons tracers to lock the bullets onto the targets on the balcony. Elite's shields sparked and broke as more armor piercing shells tore through the flesh and amore of its opposition.

Rockets from the wings of the craft launched and spun toward a Phantom. It fell from the air in a cold looking flame.

* * *

X

X

1616 September 30, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Check again!" Krystal hissed, "Just check again!"

"I'm sorry," Helix replied, "The one you call Fox is no longer alive."

"Come on Krystal! We have to go!" Falco urged her.

"Wait!" the vixen growled, "Just… Go! Leave!"

"We're not going without you!" replied the toad.

Krystal stared at the orb in indescribable anger. Then the light in the center of the ball went black, and Helix fell to the metallic flooring of the base.

"What…" in a sudden burst Krystal lost all the air in the stomach. She didn't even see it, whatever it was that hit her. But now it was as if some invisible force was carrying her, away from the rest of the team. Something was festooned around her neck, and it was slowly choking her. The last thing she heard was her name before she blacked out.

"Krystal! Hey!" Falco raised the MA5B to his shoulder and let out a quick burst of rounds near the base of whatever was carrying her away. The shells that hit the force made a spark as a layer of electricity discharged to reveal an Elite. Falco fired once more he saw purple blood splash out of the side of the alien, but he stopped firing in fear that he would hit Krystal.

A Marine grabbed him by the wing, "There's no time for that! The Flood are coming! We gotta move bird! I'm sick of babying you!"

"Let go of me! I can walk you hairless ape! If you're going to carry anybody, carry stubby here."

Slippy rounded the corner firing a pistol with both hands. There were only two Pelican's left. All they had to do was get onto one.


	29. A New Plan

**Ch. 29: A New Plan**

Unknown Date

Unknown Location

**X**

Krystal's eyes opened slowly. Her head throbbed in pain. She didn't know where she was. She was still being carried, but instead of the warm scaled hands that once carried her; there were large fleshy hands, with an almost glove like texture. She could see the back of its massive brown legs stomp across the dark floor. She didn't dare move. She feared what would happen to her if any of the creatures knew she was awake.

The creature carrying her growled, "How much farther must this go? Any cell will do."

Another roaring voice stuck out, "A cell your Excellency? What about us? My stomach throbs! And look at this one! It looks especially tasty," the fur on the back of Krystal's neck stood on end as a hand grabbed her leg, but it was smacked away by a third voice.

"Keep your hands off this baggage! I have something special in mind planned for this one."

Krystal felt sick to her stomach. She slowly looked up, just enough so that none of her captures would not notice. The vixen gasped as a Jackal leaped and growled at her, it was safe behind bars in a cell they were passing though. Now her captures knew she was awake.

"Huh," one grunted, "Our baggage awakes."

Krystal's body trembled, "Let me go," she said weakly.

Ricorus laughed with a thundering roar, "I'm sorry little creature. You are very important to us at this time."

"Please, just let me go," she begged, "I didn't do anything. I've already lost too much in this war," her voice cracked.

"Hmm," Ricorus slummed, "This one will do. Put it in here."

The ape carrying her, threw Krystal. Her body tumbled through the air, hit the back of a cell and fell to the floor. Steel bars collapsed over themselves and closed the small blue fox into her prison. Krystal rolled herself over to look outside the cell. Outside was a massive grey ape with elegant buckles, gantlets, and flashes of armor.

Krystal was weak and tired, "What do you want from me?"

"You will see in time," the Chieftain Brute walked away leaving Krystal alone in silence. She listened to the nothingness for a short while before pulling her body into a ball and huddled herself into her corner.

Krystal tried to make herself as small as possible. The vixen hugged her knees to her breasts and she began to rock back and forth; trying to comfort herself, but nothing was working. A tear rolled down her muzzle as she looked down into her torso. It landed on her suit. The vixen screwed her eyes shut.

It was all over. Fox was dead. Krystal was sure that was going to die as well. This section of the galaxy was surely going to be destroyed by Halo; and if it wasn't, then the Flood would consume everything. Nothing was going right. She knew it was all hopeless; all she could do was weep silently and wait for death's cold hand.

The cold had that had already taken Fox. But, at least now, she just had to wait to be with him again.

* * *

X

X

0734 November 1, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Airborne UNSC Pelican, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"We're not doing so hot, sir. We lost nearly half of our offensive group… and this isn't including what the Cornerians lost either. And to top it off a third of our Pelicans are smoldering heaps back in that hanger. If we want to even put up a fight here, we might have to pull out of the system for a supply run. The Pelicans we do have are going to be in the machine shops for almost 36 hours, time we do NOT have. A lot of Cornerian CO's fell to the Flood, but a few are alright thanks to the Chief," Sergeant Major Johnson reported to Captain Mitchell.

Mitchell rubbed his chin as he reviewed the Covenant's attack plan when they hit the base. The Pelican shifted as the pilot banked it out of the atmosphere, making a beeline towards the Horror Frost. The older Captain removed his cap and ran his fingers through his hair before he shook his head, "We weren't ready for that. Cortana."

The Chief was aboard a different dropship, along with Cortana. The landing craft was packed full of Marines both Lylatian and Human, and the augmented soldier found it exceptionally uncomfortable. The Spartan was surprised it was even able to get off of the ground considering that it was nearly five thousand pounds over its recommended lift capacity. Twenty-nine marines, both Lylatian and Human alike had managed to pack into the troop compartment designed for a squad of twelve; but what really got John's attention was the fact that they were able to rig a Warthog onto the back despite the dire situation.

Cortana scanned across the list of losses that the Coalition took from the Covenant and the Flood, both in personnel and equipment, "The Covenant didn't broadcast any of their data on any of their channels. I can't tell if they coordinated with the Flood attack, or it was pure coincidence and bad luck on our side."

Captain Mitchell's graveled voice came through the radio, "Not good. I don't know how much longer we can fight this war without calling in the main battle groups."

The AI went on, "Sir, very little of our equipment is still in operable condition…"

The Spartan muted Cortana's conversation with the Captain when a bird spoke up to him, "Hey Spartan."

The Chief turned to the blue plumed bird, "Do you think you could get someone to give us a ride?"

"To where?" The Chief inquired, his head tilting slightly to the side.

Falco smirked up at the super soldier, "To our ship, the Great Fox. Me and frog-boy here have something that could really give the Covenant flyboys some fun."

The Pelican rocked back as the Pilot hit the thrusters. The Chief tightened his grip on the bars, "Captain Mitchell Sir."

The voice came back, "I'm listening Chief."

"The Lylatians say they have an idea."

"Hey! "Falco butted in, "We're Starfox!"

"Well…what's left of Starfox," Slippy whimpered, his head lowering in shame.

The loss of two members of Starfox was like a slap in the face and a sucker punch to the stomach. The sorrow of the entire ordeal made him want to vomit, but right now he was too angry for it to slow him down, and he was itching for a little pay back. If he could get to the Greatfox, then he could get his wings on an Arwing. That way he would be able to get a little revenge, "That fact aside… We have fighters."

The Spartan looked down at the smaller avian, "So?"

"So!?" Falco shouted in disbelief, "We could get some serious hits in on those Covenant dropships!"

Cortana almost laughed, "With all due respect Mister Lombardi, two craft, even with the most elite of pilots… wouldn't fair up against the odds of a full wing Phantoms and Seraph fighters."

"Look here! I've been running around this ring long enough! Every time it's "lock, load, aim, shoot! Me and Slippy can mix it up, and hit 'em where it hurts most!"

The Human's AI shutdown the Lylatians argument, "We can't give you a ride, Lombardi. The Horror Frost doesn't have the resources. Very few Pelicans remain and we're extremely short on reconnaissance vehicles. Warthogs, Mongooses, and especially Scorpions; we're barely able to maintain what we do have. The Horror Frost has also exhausted most of its ammunition reserves, and infantry weapons. Captain Mitchell is considering the evacuation of Halo until we can get a battle group in here to help pull the load."

Even though Cortana was in his suit and didn't physically exist, John shook his head, "We can't do that. Leaving Halo isn't an option. The Covenant took Apologetic Helix."

Cortana failed to see what the super soldier was getting at, "I don't understand Chief."

"Really, huh?" The Spartan replied, his voice laced with a weak form of amusement.

"Get on with it," the ship grade AI hissed; it wasn't very often that the Chief knew something that Cortana didn't, and it irritated her to no end.

"When we were with Skipper at the bottom of Halo, just like Guilty Spark did, Helix took the Index."

"Is this true Cortana?" Captain Mitchell's voice crackled over the radio.

Cortana then realized how serious the situation had really become, "As much as I hate to say it... yes Captain. The Chief is correct."

Mitchell lit his pipe, and waved the match around in the air to put it out. He took a drag of the pipe before going on, "That means as soon as the find someone to activate the ring; it's all over."

"Considering most of our casualties are listed as MIA Sir, this is not good."

"One question Cortana."

"Yes Sir?"

"Can Lylatians activate Halo?"

"Sir… I… I don't know."

Mitchell tapped his pipe on the edge of a bar. The draft in the troop bay of the UNSC Pelican dropship pulled the ashes out and into the open air, "That's bad news. If somehow they are related to the Forerunners, then Halo is gonna light up."

Mitchell could hear the Spartan's deep voice on the radio, "And everything on it, and around it."

"That's right, Covenant, Lylatian, Human, we'll all die," said the UNSC AI, "We need all the help we can get."

Falco shook his head. It was like they were all ignoring him, "Listen to me! We," the raptor gestured with his arm from himself to the amphibian, "Can help! The Greatfox has weapons and ammo on it!"

The Spartan cocked his head, "What kind of weapons?"

"Everything! You name it," said the bird smugly, glad that he finally caught the super soldier's attention.

Slippy sighed, "MA5B and C Assault Rifles, M90 shotguns, BR55s, Snipers, Rockets , if you can name it, the Greatfox has it. Our ship is outfitted with extra ammunition and vehicles as well; nearly our entire cargo bay is dedicated to housing the vast quantities of equipment."

"Keep your head up Slip! Were gonna finish this, for Krystal and for Fox," Falco turned from the toad to the titan, a big grin spreading across his face, "And we got tanks."

"Tanks?" the Spartan asked, his deep baritone voice sounding interested.

Slippy carried on where the falcon left off, "On the Great Fox we've got two Scorpions and two Warthogs left."

Falco narrowed his eyes, crossing his wings over his chest, "You guys interested?"

The Chief was silent for a moment, before turning away from the remaining two members of Starfox. He looked outside the rear door of the Pelican and past the jury-rigged Warthog. Halo was so majestic; the forests were green and the lakes pristine. It was hard to believe that it was a weapon. Inside his helmet he furrowed his brow in thought before speaking, "Sir, permission to leave Halo?"

Through the com line came the Captain's weary sigh, his voice laced with remorse, "Request denied Chief; we can't spare anything right now…we're scraping the bottom of the barrel as it is. How would having our strongest fighter leaving Halo benefit us?"

Cortana negotiated with the Horror Frost's Commanding Officer, "Captain, what if I told you that the Chief and I could get a hold of more ammunition and vehicles to assist the fight."

"I would say that would be a miracle Cortana. We could use all the help we can get."

"Sir."

The Captain was silent until he finally broke the silence over the channel and sighed, "Permission granted Chief. Just… don't leave us hanging."

"Understood Sir, we'll need to borrow four Pelicans, and pilot teams," replied the AI.

The Captain hesitated, "Very well Cortana, and just bring them all back in one piece."

"No need," said Falco, "When we get to the Great Fox, we'll send them here. You can do that, right Slip?"

The toad nodded, and for the first time since the loss of Krystal and Fox sounded exited to help and be in the fight, "That's right! And as long as I don't have to transport any organic matter, I can do it accurately too!"

* * *

X

X

Unknown Date

Unknown Location

**X**

"Wake!" Krystal jumped as a Brute slammed its fists against the bars that held the vixen within her cell. The hairy brown alien tossed in a triangular box. The head sized canister bounced and tumbled before coming to a stop, "Eat," with the single word the primate walked down the hall.

Krystal got up from the cold floor and shivered. She stepped over to the edge of the cell. The bars slanted inwards at the top and outward at the bottom, but they also left a large step-down, making Krystal feel like her cell was more of a hole.

She poked her head through the bars and rested each arm on the bars beside it. The vixen sighed, and wondered what was to become of her. Death was the most likely punishment.

It didn't matter. She didn't care anymore. Death didn't seem so bad right now. War had taken so much from her, from the past and the present. Fox was dead. The monitor of Halo had said so. But there was one thing she hadn't tried. She hadn't tried locating him with her own mind.

The vixen secluded herself at the back of the cell again. She closed her eyes. She imagined each and every crevice in Halo. She searched through the thought waves of every living thing on Halo, trying to find one unique pattern that was the one of Fox McCloud.

She could visualize it all, searching through each and every wave, to find the one that stood out to her, and she thought that she almost found it, until her mind sparked and gave out. She flashed her eyes open. The Flood were ruining everything. It was nearly impossible to concentrate on a single pattern, especially if she didn't know where it was originating from.

The vixen sighed and leaned forward. She grabbed the triangular box with both paws and dragged it closer to herself. It was a transparent glass of some kind and inside a spherical purple ball. She tapped the top of the pyramid, and it slowly opened; the purple sphere rolling down to the floor.

Krystal wrinkled her nose in disgust as she held the food closer to her muzzle. The purple ball was about the size of her head. It was in a gelatin form, and looked very unappetizing. Never the less, she was starving. She inched it closer and tried to smell it, but it had no odor.

The vixen held it with both paws, opened her mouth, and took a bite. Her canine fangs sunk into the gelatin, and she had to pull her head back to rip off the piece. The gelatin immediately and magically turned to liquid in her mouth; the texture combined with the horrible taste made it the worst thing that she had ever eaten.

Krystal rolled onto her side spat out as much as the liquid as she could on the floor. It tasted much worse then it looked. The candid female kept spitting until the vile liquid had all but left her muzzle. Once on the floor the substance resumed its gelatin form.

Where she thought she had taken a bite out of the purple ball had also covered it's self over again, making the orb once again perfectly round, but slightly smaller. She placed the rest of the purple orb inside its container, so maybe if she did get desperate enough she would eat it.

But until then, she was still a prisoner of war. She thought back to what Fox said on their flag ship;

"_I have never fought an enemy like this before._"

"_I want you to promise that you'll leave me, and save yourself._"

Krystal crawled back into her corner, "I'm sorry Fox. You were right," her eyes began to water, "Don't worry, love. I'll be with you soon."


	30. When We're Dead

**Ch. 30: When We're Dead**

1230 November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Space/Airborne UNSC Pelican, Echo Halo Stratosphere, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

John managed to take a seat just before the G-forces wreaked havoc on the small Pelican dropship. Never in the Spartan's life had he thought that he would be having conversations with birds, dogs, hares, equines or foxes. It was completely ludicrous… or so he thought. But, here he was now, cramped into a UNSC troop transport with them.

"This is Dieppe four-nineteen. The Chief and I are just leaving Halo's atmosphere."

Captain Mitchell's tired, old voice came over the comm. channel, "Roger that, standby for Longsword support. They'll assist you until you're clear of Halo. Please confirm."

"Copy that Sir," the pilot of the ship looked out the window two Longsword fighters joined together in front of the dropship, "I have visual."

The fighters kept their speed low so that the slower ship could keep up. As soon as the Pelican jumped away from the atmosphere, the two fighters broke off and disengaged; they were needed elsewhere on the ring.

"Dieppe four-nineteen, Fox-one and Fox-two are disengaging. Fox team is needed elsewhere."

"Copy that Fox-one."

"Good luck Chief, Starfox." Those were that last words spoken by the fighter pair just before they broke communications and settled in for re-entry.

The Spartan looked at the avian. He personally had very little faith in the combat capabilities what this organization could do. The Lylatians had more forewarning of the impending Covenant invasion fleet, and still refused to take action; it was less than a year since Corneria was pulled into a conflict with the Covenant, and they are barely able to keep the aliens from reaching their home world.

And from what Cortana had been able to pull up from Lylatian databases, during the second Lylatian war, a small flight of 4 pilots managed to completely destroy and enemy armada. Now what did that say about their battle plans? Strategies? Sure, they could actually make pure energy into a feasible weapon, but if they were using human weapons, what did that say about the effectiveness of their weapons?

"Dieppe four-nineteen, ETA to Lylatian Greatfox," Cortana asked.

"Not long Cortana," the pilot adjusted the dropship's angle and steered it toward the coordinates that one of the members of Starfox had given her, "I can have you there in half an hour, or ten minuets in super cruise. But, it would mean that we would have to refuel immediately after returning to Halo."

"Do it," said the AI, "We need to take off all the time we can get."

"Copy Ma'am. Super cruise activated; ETA to Greatfox, ten minuets. Over."

The rear of the Pelican was silent for a moment. It was filled with two Cornerian and UNSC Marines, the remaining two members of Starfox and of course the Spartan.

The Spartan-117 spoke to Cortana privately, "Are you sure about this _Starfox_ thing?"

"Not positive Chief, but if we've ever needed a miracle, it's now. They seem to quite the heroes to the Lylatians though. From what I've been able to perceive is that, they single handedly destroyed a whole _evil_ empire."

"An evil empire? How childish."

"That being as it is, Fox McCloud, AKA the Skipper, was the leader of this team. You may find this hard to believe Chief, but before his death, he held the same position to the Cornerians as you do to the UNSC. Hmm, and he has wracked up quiet the kill count over the years."

The Chief was still unimpressed. Usually an impressive kill count was about fifty. He himself had killed tens of thousands, "More then a Spartan?"

"Well Chief…"

"You're kidding me."

"I'm not saying that the Skipper has more kills then you. But it is very close. It's not a contest Chief!"

"I understand. But there is a difference between pulling a trigger from a fighter craft and crushing an Elite's throat with the butt of your rifle. Besides, just review their history, militarily and tactically speaking, the Lylatians are a joke. A single flight blew through an entire armada. Now what does that say about the 'Evil Empire's' military? And to add to that, Corneria knew the war was coming, and yet they didn't do anything about it."

"Chief, that's not-"

"Besides, if they are so advanced, then why are they using our weapons to fight?"

The AI was silent for a moment to come up with an effective argument. The Spartan gave a breathy sigh and turned towards the blue avian who gestured towards him, "So Spartan, what makes you so special?"

The super soldier glared at him through his visor, "I was just wondering the same about you."

"Knock it off you two," Cortana budded in, "Let's fight the war that we're already in instead of making new enemies."

The two male combatants retook their seats, the Master Chief at the front neat the cockpit with the human Marines, and Falco in the back with Slippy and the Lylatian Marines.

Cortana sighed in frustration and crossed her non-existent arms over her chest, "Seriously… men."

The rest of the ride to the Greatfox was nearly silent. Slippy and Falco whispered among themselves. It didn't matter if they whispered or not. The Spartan could pick out each and every word that they were saying using his genetically advanced hearing and his Mjolnir armor. The Chief narrowed his eyes at a particularly crude comment and stood up, but Cortana intervened, "I know what is going through your mind, John. So I am going to put my foot down. SIT!"

John-117 stiffened, but reluctantly resumed his seat; the Lylatian marines so wrapped up in their conversation that they didn't notice the super soldier standing up. An ODST looked in his direction, and a Latin voice flooded over his internal speakers; a private com-link between the two humans. "I don't know what they are saying Chief, but it seems to have you pretty pissed. Want me to go over there and find out what those furballs got to say?"

John shook his head, "At ease Corporal, I got it taken care of."

The Spartan turned his head and leaned towards the Lylatians in the back of the dropship; he broke the com-link and activated his external speakers, "If you are going to talk about me, do it when I am not around."

The Cornerians were startled for a moment, and they immediately changed the topic. John couldn't help but give a small smile in satisfaction at their reaction. If they weren't going to respect him, then they damn well better fear him! Then the pilot's voice cut in over his speakers, "Chief, Starfox. The Greatfox is in sight, we'll be setting down it about thirty seconds."

"Affirmative."

Slippy glanced over to Falco, "It's going to feel good to be home."

"Not for long it won't," replied the bird, "We'll mount up as fast as we can and get out… and finish Halo."

The pilot of the ship came on again, "Alright Starfox, Chief, standby for pressurization. I am equalizing cabin pressure with Greatfox hanger now."

The Spartan expected to hear a hiss of air but he didn't. The pilots voice came on again, "Damn, thing must be on the fritz. It says that there is nitrogen, oxygen atmosphere here… but that can't be."

Cortana ran through her history and all her files, "The boarding team reported this as well. But, it doesn't make sense. There is no seal from the vacuum in the hanger, "Can either of you explain this to me?"

"Lylatian ingenuity, you hairless apes. I'm surprised that you didn't come by it. Beside's it's not the time," said Falco, "I'll explain it to you when we're all dead."

The doors of the Pelican opened. Outside was the visible space, and yet there was still oxygen and gravity. John could here Cortana, and she was very intrigued with this technology, "That's very interesting!"

"Cortana, let's remember why we're here," The super soldier cut in.

"Oh! Yes! Marines! Collect all the ammunition and weapons that the Greatfox has to offer. Attach one Warthog to the back of this vessel and arm this Pelican to the teeth. I'm contacting the Captain for Longsword escorts support now. Hop to it!"

"Yes Ma'am!"

"You got it, ma'am!"

Falco stepped up the door and pressed a switch, "How we doing ROB?"

The robots monotone voice came in clearly over the channel, "The Greatfox is ok. We are undetected."

"That's great to hear!"

The robots voice came over the channel once more, "Message contact channel with Cornerian Space Command has been established. There is a low signal output, auto-adjusting for best possible connection. Live view channel not available."

Slippy stumbled past Falco, "I have to get a hold of Peppy! We have to tell them to stay there!"

The avian stopped him, "What?! Wait! We could use all the help we could get."

Slippy spun around, "If the Cornerian fleet warps into the system, and Halo goes off. Then, they'll all be dead. We can't risk having our main fleet destroyed!"

"Aww man! I never thought about it that way. Ok! Go! Quick!"

Slippy waddled through the door and down the hall. It was very dark. It made sense since the ship was on silent mode. The lights on the bridge automatically came on as he entered. He 'yipped' as he saw ROB. A large part of his head was covered with a steal patch of some type.

"ROB!! What happened?"

"Cause of damage, unknown."

"Well never mind that. Open a channel with General Peppy."

"Affirmative. Signal extremely low, auto-adjusting…standby… signal corruption, reestablishing connection….connection confirmed. Warning, optical failure, streaming audio only. Channel open."

"Peppy!?" Slippy shouted into the microphone, "It's me, Slippy!"

The voice was clearly Peppy's but some parts were blocked out by the static of the frequency, "It's good to hear from you! What's happening over there!? Cornerian Space Forces are on standby to warp in system!"

"No Peppy! Don't send anyone! Close the Gate!"

"Why!?" the elderly lapin questioned, "What's happening!?"

"It's Halo. We think it's about to fire!"

"Halo!? Have you gained control of the weapon?"

"Halo isn't a weapon… It's a… it's complicated! I don't have the time to explain it right now. Just close the Gate!"

"Alright, the Gate is closing! Can you just tell me what's going on!?"

Falco walked through the door just then, "Fox, and Krystal," he paused for a short time, but it felt like eternity, "Both MIA…or wasted. We think they're both dead Peppy..."

The silence was overwhelming. It was consuming. Slippy broke it, "Did you get that Peppy?"

"Yeah… Yes I got that… I should have never sent y-u -n the f--st -l-ce."

ROB's metallic fingers danced over the controls, "Channel coherency is un-maintainable… signal terminated."

"Well, we got the message across Slippy. Let's go."

Slippy nodded, "ROB, send two Warthogs and two Scorpions to this location on Halo, oh, and eighty percent of the Greatfox's ammunition and weapon reserves," Slippy entered the coordinates into the computer.

"Affirmative."

With that Slippy and Falco left the bridge of the Greatfox. By the time they got back down to the hanger, the Marines were just finishing locking the Warthog to the dropship. The troop bay was filled with crates and weapons of all sorts.

"Dieppe four-nineteen, standing by for take off, back to Halo. We got a full load here."

Falco placed one of his blue wings on the cockpit of the Arwing. It was good to be finally reunited, "Hey Spartan. Care for a little _fun_?"

The Spartan turned his head toward the avian, "What kind of fun?" before he knew it he was catching a shoulder mounted weapon. The Spartan had never seen this one before though, so it must have been something developed by the Lylatians, "What's this for?"

Falco flipped himself into the cockpit of the Arwing with a smirk, "Once we get ground side, you'll find out."

* * *

X

X

Unknown Date

Unknown Location

Krystal was absolutely miserable. She was tired, hungry, thirsty, and cold. The orb of food hadn't become any more appealing then it had before. And by this time, she was ready for the inevitable death that she knew was just getting closer with every ticking second.

Once again, there were large footsteps coming from the end of the hall. She hoped that they were for her. How she hated being confined in this cell, even though it was quite roomy, it was empty.

A pair of brown apes stopped at her cell and stared at her through the bars, "It is time."

Her heart began to race, but this is the moment that she had been waiting for. This is the moment that she had been preparing for. The cell bars parted and one of the Brute walked down the single step. Krystal held out both her paws in front of her, wrists together.

The Brute's hands worked quickly and accurately for how large they were. She didn't look at the aliens face. It scared her too much. Instead she looked at the floor beside her and pinched some of the last tears she would ever cry out of her eyes. When she opened them and looked down at her wrists, a pair of glowing shackled pinned them together.

The Brutes made her walk in front of them. She didn't mind though. She didn't care. It's not like she was going to be alive for much longer anyways.


	31. Halo

Authors note: Ok... my editor has something to say...

Keep it Open,  
SyxxFox

**X**

* * *

Editors note: Hey there Echo Halo readers! Ignorant One here, the editor of this great series. Just thought I would put my two cents in here. I have noticed that there were quite a few reivews about the past couple of chapters in regard to Fox's "death"...Fox McCloud isn't really dead. If you read the second half of chapter 27 carefully, you would know that Fox was only _captured_ and _presumed_ dead by the rest of the Coalition forces since his body was never found, and because Helix didn't detect him on _the ring_. Helix didn't say a word about the Covenant orbiting the Echo Halo.

I can't stress this enough. Fox isn't dead, and Krystal isn't going to die. Just sit back and think about both series...the Halo trilogy and the Starfox series. The Covenant _need_ a human, or in this case, they could theoretically use a Lylatian to activate the ring. Now this should not,I repeat, _should not_ be spoiler or a complete surprise to you, the reader, if you would just follow the story carefully. Read every detail, even though it is human nature to read only a couple of words per sentence; trust me, it helps. :D

Now, this is only directed at a certain few people who don't seem to pay attention to stories very well. For those of you who understand the plot, and the scenes myself and SyxxFox are trying to make, then thank you!

Thanks for reading this,

Ignorant One,

Editor-in-chief (The only one, XD)

P.S. If you read this all of the way through, say you did when you review...it would make you a hero to me. :)

**X**

**Ch. 31: Halo**

Unknown Date

Unknown Location

**X**

So, this is how it ends. The legendary hero of the Lylat System already dead, Krystal knew that she was the next one in line. Maybe it was the fact that she accepted it, but the vixen wasn't sad or sorrowful any longer. Krystal had no idea how long she had been locked in that cell. It could have been weeks for all she knew.

If there was any emotion that her heart possessed right now, it was anticipation. Even though her death would probably be quite painful, soon after; she would be with Fox. Their next date, their next hug, their next kiss; would all take place in heaven.

One of the Brutes shoved her in the back and Krystal stumbled into a section of blue wavy air in a large blue hanger. She felt herself lift from the ground, and begin to tumble and spin. Before she knew it, Krystal was flat on her tail, inside the Covenant Phantom dropship. The two Brutes soon fallowed up the gravity lift, and landed precisely on their feet within the ship.

It was the first time, to her knowledge that she had ever been in one of these Covenant ships.

She took a standing position once again, but fell as the G-forces took affect on the ship and its occupants. Krystal knew that she was weak. She was tired, hungry and thirsty. That would all be taken care of soon though.

Krystal wasn't sure how long it was that she was on the ship. She drifted in and out of sleep on the cold, uncomfortable floor. The blue plasmatic lights illuminated her fur and made it look as if she was glowing. She couldn't have been more miserable. She began to whimper, and whine, but she stopped after an aggressive growl emitted from one of Brute warriors.

Just as fast as she had gotten on the ship, she was taken off. Being held by the glowing shackles that restricted her movement, she was restrained by the wrists anyways by the Brutes as they exited the grav-lift of the ship.

Krystal narrowed her eyes to slits as the sun took its toll on them. Soon enough she was able to open them, immediately recognizing where she was. It was the enormous deck of the Echo Halo's Control Room.

She looked around the deck, seeing pieces of ships, both Human and Covenant. At a different section of the deck were piles of bodies. And yet at another corner, dozens of piles of pale green bodies, many of them on fire, burning and sending a rank odor into the atmosphere.

The smell of rotting carcasses, burning flesh and burning fur consumed the air around her. It was sickening, and she wanted to vomit.

That was when the fear started to set in again. She began to sob at first until she burst into tears yet again. Gasping for fresh air, and blubbering. She remembered what Peppy had told Starfox when they had first set out. The Covenant didn't take prisoners. All prisoners were executed, maybe just for fun even. She would probably just be a game.

As the three neared the large doors of the Control Room, they slid open allowing them in. The inside wasn't packed full of Covenant troops, but there were a sufficient amount. More then she could ever dream of fighting alone.

It probably took them a decent five minuets to get to the very end of the Control Room. When they arrived, a larger grey Brute in more elaborate and elegant armor stood there. Waiting.

One of the guard Brutes forced Krystal to her knees. By this time once again she had stopped crying. She looked at the brownish solid floor in from of her muzzle. Unable to see what was happening around her; she waited in the silence for the final blow. The one that would end her life and reunite Krystal with her love, Fox McCloud. But instead she heard something else.

"Do you know why we have brought you?"

Krystal slowly inched her muzzle upwards at the giant in the grey hair, "Excuse me?"

"I said; do you know why we brought you here?"

She shook her head, "No," she said just above a whisper.

"On your feet."

Krystal's eyes drifted around, looking for something bad to beat her down and kill her. Slowly, she got off of her knees and into a stand. For the first time, she noticed that the largest of all the Brutes held a silver orb with a glowing green eye. Krystal recognized it as the monitor of Halo.

The monitor joggled up and down in the Brute's mighty hand, "Quickly! We must act to control this outbreak!"

In his other hand Ricorus, the Covenant Brute Chieftain held a luminous key, "Come," he motioned Krystal forward.

The little blue vixen stepped forward, "What do you want from me?"

Ricorus took off the glowing blue plasma shackles from Krystal's wrists and dropped the key into her paw, "The ring. Activate it!"

The vixen stepped back in shock, "I will do no such thing," she said calmly.

The lead Brute snatched the key from her hand and dropped the Apologetic Helix allowing it to float in the air freely. He then grabbed the little vixen. She was too exhausted to fight back. The Brute placed her down right in front of the consol, "You will do as you are told!"

The fox remained calm, "I won't risk the fate of the entire universe."

The Brute replied in his deep voice, "You will activate the holy ring!"

Krystal almost laughed. She was so exhausted, "What makes you so sure?"

Ricorus quickly grew impatient with the blue infidel. He pulled a weapon with a large blade on the front of it from his holster and held it to Krystal's head. He laughed in his alien tongue.

Krystal let her head drift slightly to the left and down to the floor, "Do as you wish with me. I'm already dead."

The Brute roared and placed the weapon right to her head before he was stopped;

"Halt!"

Krystal looked to the right, from within the dark corner came an ancient sounding voice. As the _thing_ floated from the shadows a line of light washed upon it, a faint humming sound emitted from the chair-like platform that it was floating on. The face of the thing was old and wrinkled, with odd limp tentacles drooping down from either side of its chin. A golden crown covered its head, with a holographic blue ring in the center. Around its shoulders a blue robe was draped, and hung off the side of the floating chair.

All of the Brutes immediately took knee and bowed before this figure. Krystal remained standing though. She had no respect for the Covenant. She didn't care.

The Brute held the key out in one hand toward the floating figure, "Oh noble Prophet of Misery. The Sacred Icon has been retrieved!"

The Prophet lightly took it out of the Brutes leathery hand, "Well done Ricorus."

"Thank you your holiness. I have brought the infidel. I have brought the Blue One."

The Prophet of Misery turned his pure black eyes to Krystal, "I see that Chieftain. You have fulfilled your duty."

"But…"

Misery put up a single hand silencing the Brute. He then floated toward the control consol of Halo and Krystal, "Now, what is the problem?"

"I will not jeopardize the fate of the galaxy."

The Prophet came closer. Now right beside Krystal, "I remember when this war first started; when my kind attacked yours. I realize now that I may have made a mistake."

Krystal looked up from the ground at the holy figure in disgust, "A mistake?"

"Yes. It appears that we believed that you were the… Humans. So our ships attacked yours."

"That was no mistake," she laughed in disbelief, "How naive do you think I am? All of you are evil. You took so much away from me, and I can never forgive you for what you have done to me, the Lylatian race and especially Fox."

"Perhaps not. But I do deeply apologize for that. And I am here to make you an offer."

"I don't want to hear your offer. Please, if you are going to do it, just kill me."

"You may want to hear this. If you activate the sacred ring, I can promise you life. I can promise you salvation and royalty."

"Royalty?"

"You would become a Queen of the Covenant. Worshipped for eternity and become one of the Gods."

Krystal was disgusted by her thoughts. She actually began to consider it until she shook it off, staring the Hierarch right in his blank black eyes, "I will never work for you."

Silence consumed the room once again. The Prophet began to nod slowly, and float away from Krystal. With his back turned he began to speak again, "I know what you want."

"You have no idea what I want. I will never activate Halo for you! Kill me now!"

Just as she finished speaking, she felt her feet lift from the ground as a huge hand covered her whole chest and strained her neck. She felt her airway confine as she struggled to get away. Krystal began to cough and choke. Her lungs soon begged for air. They burned and stung with ever gasp she tried to get into her chest. But it was no use. She never had a chance. Her vision began to tunnel, and she knew that this was the end.

"Enough!!" the Prophet shouted.

Krystal was dropped to the floor. On her knees she cringed at the stomach holding herself up with a single paw. Her blue tail banded with ancient bands drooped down between her legs, as she gasped for air.

"Imbecile!" the Prophet scolded, "We still need her!"

"My apologies, you're excellently."

"What would the other Prophets say if you were to have failed them? I would have your head!" he turned back to Krystal who was still on her knees hunched over, "You _will_ activate Halo."

Krystal slowly lifted her shuddering neck and head up toward the holy figure, "Go to h-ll."

"Hmm..." Misery scratched his chin, "Ricorus."

With a single grunt from the Chieftain Brute the others all shuffled around. Krystal put her head back down, looking at the brown floor. Until she heard a familiar voice;

"Don't do it Krystal."

She shot her head up. She didn't know where he came from, but there he was; his body limped at the center, being supported only by two Brutes by each arm, dragging his flaccid legs across the floor. His eyes closed and limped neck allowing his whole face to stare at the floor only.

"FOX!!" a huge grin came upon her face. It felt as if all her hope and energy had been restored. He heart raced and butterflies filled her stomach. Fox wasn't dead, " "You're alive!!"

His voice was raged and weak. He didn't open his eyes and continued to droop his head toward floor. His jaw the only thing moving, "Krystal, if you activate this ring, then we're all going to die. Lylatian, Human, Covenant. Everyone."

Her smiled began to fade, she brought herself to her feet. The Prophet of Misery circled Krystal, "I offer you life. Activate the ring and I will grant both of you life."

A look of hopelessness fell over her face, "Fox… I."

He didn't move, "Don't do it Krystal."

"But… Fox."

"No _buts _Krystal! Let them kill me!"

"Fox… I – I can't."

"Krystal!!" Fox shouted angrily.

A mental war went on within the fox's head. She had two choices, she could either activate the ring to let Fox live; let both of them live, risking the entire fate of the galaxy, but letting her be with Fox again, at least for a while. Or, she could let Fox die, right in front of her eyes.

One of the Brutes drug Fox by a single arm and placed him right front of Krystal, dropping the red vulpine to the floor. Krystal quickly knelt to help Fox, but was pulled back by a different Brute.

They were both now on their knees. Fox panting, "I guess I was right Krystal. I wasn't coming home from this one," he looked up and smiled at Krystal. A tear ran down his cheek. A dried stream of blood clotted the pale fur on his muzzle.

"…Fox…" she whimpered in a helpless tone.

The grey Brute now stood behind the vulpine; in his hands, and giant hammer.

The Prophet stood beside the Chieftain, "This is your choice?"

Krystal remained silent, looking at Fox in the eye. It was too much for her to bear. Fox let his muzzle fall to the floor again, looking away from Krystal. A few tear drops patted the floor. The Brute standing behind Fox lifted the hammer to his shoulder, and higher.

Krystal couldn't stand it. There was no way she could let Fox die like this. Just before the Brute began to swing down she yelled nearly at the top of her voice, "WAIT!!"

The Prophet stared at her as the vixen brought herself to her feet, "Perhaps you have reconsidered?"

"I'll do it," she gulped, "I'll activate Halo."

"Krystal," Fox growled.

"I'm sorry Fox."

Krystal knew what she wanted. She knew what she needed. She needed Fox. She needed to be with him. She needed to stand beside him. She didn't care if what she was doing was selfish. Fox still had a long life to live and he would live it with her. She could feel his fear in her stomach and especially his fear in her head.

The Brutes around her all laughed in triumph as Misery placed the Index in her paw and used his own hands to wrap Krystal's fingers around it. The vixen stepped up to the panel, took a deep breath into her lungs and placed the key in the slot.

She took one last look at Fox, who was still looking at the floor. A green button illuminated itself. The one that would activate Halo.

"What are you waiting for!?" the Hierarch said impatiently.

Krystal looked at the green button and slowly inched the tip of her claw toward it. Her tail fell between her legs in shame, she knew that she was being selfish, but she had already come this far. She quickly mashed her paw down on the button.

Everything went silent, the suspense building inside of her making her stomach churn and head light, "Did it work?"

"I told you to activate the ring!" Misery shouted. He floated to Krystal, supervising her actions.

She hit the button again, and again, but nothing happened. Halo remained dim and soundless. She started to weep, hitting the switch harder. She knew, if she couldn't get Halo to fire, both her and Fox would surely die.

Fox waited for the ring to erupt; to kill everyone in the room, and all life as he knew it. But it didn't come, and he could hear Krystal started to sob, hurting his soul even more.

He drifted his eyes along the floor. Thinking about the past week or two that he had spent on Halo; he had learned so many new things. His mind brought him back to when he and the Spartan had first discovered the Flood. About what the monitor of Halo said, about the Reclaimers, the Spartan, the Flood themselves, and the Forerunners.

He thought back to what Cortana had said about the Forerunners. About how they were the only ones with the ability to activate Halo. And there. That was his answer. He had pieced it all together.

Krystal began to cry, knowing what was coming. It wasn't fair, she had a chance, and she could have been with Fox. But in the end, it turned out that the vixen never really did have a choice in the matter.

"Why is this not working!?" the Prophet slammed his fists down on the armrest of the floating chair, he spun around and spoke to Ricorus, "Are you sure you brought us the right one?"

"Positive! She is the only one in blue fur!"

Their conversation was broke apart by a nearly evil laugh. Krystal turned around to see that it was coming from Fox. He gasped every few seconds as his hysterical laugh grew louder, "It was so simple! I can't believe I didn't see it! I can't believe I was worried!!"

Krystal looked at the vulpine, a confused and worried look consuming her face, "Fox?"

"It's so easy!" he panted and began to calm into a smooth talk, "Only Forerunners can activate Halo. Only Recalmers, have the ability. All Humans can activate it. Krystal. Me and Krystal… we can't," he slowly lifted his head, narrowed his eyes and smirked in victory, "We aren't Forerunners."

"Fools!" the Brute rumbled, "We cannot activate the sacred ring!" he grabbed the floating orb from the air, "Why didn't you saying anything!?"

Apologetic Helix's eye flashed as it spoke, "They are clearly not of the Forerunner entity! I thought you knew. How couldn't you?"

Fox chuckled, "Left that little fact out, did he?"

Ricorus fell into a complete rampage, pushing over his own Brutes to get to the red vulpine. Once he plucked him from the ground, the Brute threw him across the room like a rag doll. The vulpine's body twirled, until he struck the wall, bouncing off, and from there fell two meters to the floor.

"FOX!!" Krystal ran towards him, naturally being more agile, she quickly made her way around the Brutes.

Ricorus snarled but the Hierarch drew him off, "Let her go!"

Fox was thrown a long ways. Krystal worried and expected broken bones, and perhaps even a broken back. He was now motionless in a heap of himself on the cool floor.

Krystal slid on her knees to see the vulpine, lying frozen on his back. She propped her own back up against the wall and drug Fox's limp body over her own, resting his head on the inside of her shoulder.

He looked like he had gone to hell and back. His pale muzzle was covered with dirt and his own blood, which made a dried path from the side of his mouth into his red fur. His whole uniform was covered in dust and larger dried patches of dirt. Fox's left paw slightly swollen, and his whole body was covered in smaller cuts, some which drew fresh blood.

But, he was still breathing. After all the preparing she had gone through, he was still alive. She brushed Fox's white strip of head fur back, "My poor Fox. What has this ring done to you?"

His ear twitched as he dug his muzzle into the fur of her neck. Fox curled in his tail and legs to make himself smaller.

Krystal just held him tighter, "Fox. I thought you were dead."

His answer was a slight whine, like a frightened kit, before speaking in his weak voice, "You should never have come."

She smiled and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek, "That's my Fox. Just as stubborn as ever."

He gave a simple whine again and tried to collapse himself further into the vixen's arms, "I missed you so much."

"Sshhhh," she calmed him, "Everything is going to be alright Fox. You've done your part. Now leave the rest to me. I'll never let you go."

"Krystal… I – I don't know what to say… Thank you."

"I'm just returning the favor Fox, for everything that you've ever done for me, everything that you've ever given me. You taught me everything I know."

Fox kept his eyes closed and gasped, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," it felt do good to have Fox back. She could never have let him die like that. And it turned out in the end, that she did have a choice, and she managed to make the right decision. She hugged his chest tighter, loving him, "I could never let you die. You've still got something to show me when we get back to the Greatfox."

At each end of the vulpine's cheek his mouth curved up slightly, "We're not done here yet Krystal."

"I know. You may be stubborn, by you're my Fox. No one else's," she began to kiss him on cheek, again, and again, nipping at his fur and hide with her fangs playfully, "I love you."

A loud scream was emitted from the depths of the ring. Fox knew what it was, he knew what was coming. He tried to lift himself from the vixen, but he couldn't find the strength.

Krystal "Sshhhed" him again, "Don't move Fox."

"But… the Flood… their coming."

"Don't worry. I've got it all under control," she reached into Fox's vest and down his shirt and down his muscular chest and body, then touching the butt of Fox's old Blaster. She unclipped it from the holster and slid her paw out, quickly hiding the weapon behind her back.

The Prophet of Misery shouted in frustration, "How could such a mistake be made!? Agh! Finish them both, Ricorus! Neither of them are any use to me now!"

"My pleasure," the grey Brute plucked his Gravity Hammer from the cold floor. He began to step closer to the fox pair, "You are of no use to us now! Consider this your dishonorable death Heretics!"

Krystal smiled; she pulled down on the trigger of the Blaster, still holding it behind her back. She charged the weapon and just before the Brute was able to bring the hammer down to kill them both, she pulled out the sidearm from her back and let the trigger release.

The last thing that he saw was the grin of a blue vixen, before a flaming ball of white hot plasma from the Cornerian Blaster struck him in the face. The ball burnt through the skull of the Brute, knocking him backward and ultimately killing him, finishing the Chieftain Brute for good.

The Prophet laughed evilly as more Brutes closed in around Fox and Krystal, "You cannot hope to kill them all."

Krystal knew he was right. There were too many Brutes. She couldn't possibly finish them all. Just as she was about to say something, another scream echoed through the Control Room. Then a sliding sound came from all directions. Green combative Flood forms poured into the room. All of them mindlessly attacking.

"Krystal," Fox tried to yell.

She didn't fire. She didn't move. Fox listened closer, his ear right against where her vocal chords would be. She began to hum a steady note with her eyes closed.

Fox forced his eyes open. Crawling up his leg was a green infectious Flood form. McCloud froze solid, and it continued to climb up his leg and chest. Before he knew it, the spider-like creature was crawling over his face.

The vulpine started to vibrate in fear. Tears burning at his eyes. He didn't want to be one of them. He never wanted to become one of them. He gulped and whimpered as the creature hung above his face. But, it rubbed two of its many legs together and continued on its way.

Fox then drove his attention to a combat form that loomed over him, "Krystal! Shoot it!"

It was like she was ignoring him. Krystal wasn't listening. She was just humming a steady tune. Fox tried to find the Blaster in Krystal's paw, but it wasn't there. He looked up at the Elite Combat form. It gave him a slight growl and ran off to battle the other Brutes.

Something wasn't right. The Flood didn't operate like that. When they saw food, they went for it no matter what their chances were. He and Krystal were both easy prey, but all of the Flood warriors went after the Covenant.

What was Krystal doing? Fox gathered the strength to support himself, he pulled his body way from Krystal's, now his own back against the wall. He panted and turned his head toward the vixen. Both of her paws were in the temples of her head. The Flood wouldn't step with a ten meter radius of the pair.

The Covenant Hierarch was able to slip away with a few of the surviving Brutes.

He smiled weakly, "Krystal," she was taking over the minds of the Flood, she was in control of them now, and soon the Brutes were mopped up, and the Flood were all standing there motionless.

Fox started to worry again. Krystal needed to concentrate on keeping the Flood busy, but he didn't withhold the strength to get himself out of the long Control Room, let alone both of them. He picked the Blaster up from Krystal's lap, and managed to bring himself to his feet.

Fox stumbled over to the control consol of the Echo Halo, and slipped the Index out of its slot, and placed it in his empty ammunition belt, "Got it."

Krystal's humming had become increasingly louder. He knew that it was getting hard for her to control the Flood. He had to get them out; he had to find a safe place. Fox began to grab weapons off of the Brutes and placing them in his own paws. One of which he recognized as the Spiker, the one with the bayonet on the large pistol.

He stumbled back over to Krystal and placed the Blaster back in her lap while holding the large and heavy Brute pistol with both paws. He was afraid to move Krystal. Anything that would break her concentration would end up in his own death as well as hers.

But, just as fast as the Flood came, they all started to creep away and back down into the depths of Halo. Soon there was not a thing to be seen or heard.

Fox's heart jumped as he heard Krystal struggle for breath and gasped, "Krystal, are you alright?"

She panted for a moment, "I was going to ask you the same question Fox," she said with concern, "Can you walk?"

"A little bit. I won't be able to go that far alone."

She smiled at the vulpine, "That's why you're not alone Fox," she stood and leaned a paw down to pull Fox up. He was weak, and probably hadn't slept in days. He was her responsibility now. And she would be damned if she didn't get him out of here alive, "Come on, they'll be back soon."

Fox grabbed onto her paw and Krystal hoisted him up, and doubled his arm up over her shoulders, holding the larger red fox up. It took all Fox's strength to hold the large Spiker in his right paw, while Krystal held the lighter Blaster.

"How fast can you go?"

The vulpine grunted, "That's about it. Uhhhgg! We need to move faster," Fox tried to pick up the pace, "I'm sorry for leaving you… but the Spartan needed me. I didn't want you to worry, so I just didn't tell you. I should have."

"Calm down Fox. I'm just happy that you're alive. I'll take care of you form here on in."

* * *


	32. Resolution

Yes. I f-ckin love windows 95...

Anyways I'm back online... My operating sytem isnt exactly as it should be, but it's going to get me around.  
I pretty much have retied from movie making, because, my computer isnt exactly up to snuff for it.

This is SyxxFox

I'm Back

Keep it Open,  
SyxxFox


	33. Starfox

**Ch. 33: Starfox**

1530 November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Near Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Alright Marines! This is it!" Sergeant Johnson whooped as he stared at the troops in the rear of the Pelican's personnel bay, "Expect the drop zone to be crawling with those ugly bastards! Dieppe four-nineteen, ETA?"

His response came clear through the intercom of the small UNSC aircraft, "Just passing over the lake now, ETA to insertion point; thirty seconds!" The drop-ship shuttered as plasma from Covenant small arms raked across the thick hull.

"Sh-t! Area is hot Sir! Ugh… and Covenant air patrols are inbound." The UNSC pilot pointed out the windshield at the incoming Banshee and Seraph scout craft. "The Longswords can keep them busy for a while Sir, but it might not be enough! I would like to save my armaments for clearing the drop zone! Orders!?"

"Don't you worry about a single thing; we'll take care of those air patrols."

The Sergeant Major spun his head around, looking out the rear bay of the Pelican ship. Behind them was an array of green UNSC Pelican drop-ships all marching over the horizon together. Johnson blinked and rubbed his eyes; closer yet, were a pair of blue and silvery white crafts with body types he had never seen before. Behind the mystery craft a bright blue exhaust trail followed the craft; quickly fading away into the cerulean sky.

"Oh yeah!?" he smirked, "What makes you so sure, feather-head?" The coffee skinned marine asked jokingly, recognizing the blue avian's voice right away.

One of the crafts made glided to trail the opposite side of the Pelican, exposing the hidden side. On the wing was a soldier clad in amber armor, hanging onto one of the panels; legs tucked underneath the body and boots dug deep in grooves on the wing. Over his right shoulder, was a massive weapon that even the Sergeant had never seen before.

He choked on the cigar's fumes, quickly removing it before he chewed it in half, "Chief?!" he blinked in disbelief.

The Spartan looked into the back of the airborne Pelican, and ushered no more then a short nod to the Marines that occupied it. The Marine Sergeant Major looked at his cigar and then discarded it out the back of the Pelican; shaking his head. "Damnit, Chief! You better not fall, 'cause I don't do bits and pieces!"

John didn't reply as the pair of blue fighters, slowly banked away from the rear of the ship, and disappeared, out of Johnson's sight; carrying the Chief away. The man still stared, in skepticism even after he couldn't see the mysterious blue ships. "Damn I swear, if he gets himself killed, then _I_ will have to hump the UNSC on my back." He pulled out another cigar and placed it between his teeth; shaking his fist and yelling in the direction that the Spartan had disappeared to, "You selfish bastard! Taking all the damn glory for yourself!" He was only brought back by the pilot screeching at him.

"Sir! Orders!?"

"Huh!? Uhh…quit whining! You flyboys always find something to b-tch about. Hold on crybaby, daddy is coming to hold your hand," He yelled out sarcastically, his annoyed tone showing through. Johnson slipped in between the jutting knees of the Marines in the troop bay.

Once he reached the pilot, he clapped his shoulder and looked out the windscreen. "That's what you've been complaining about!?" He yelled as he pointed towards the rapidly approaching patrol ship, "What? You call in sick when they taught you have to evade enemy fire?" Johnson scoffed and then turned around as his eyes went over the faces of the Marines, "We're goin' in. Load up Marines!! It's time to earn your wages!!"

"Understood Sir!"

"Roger that!"

Sergeant Johnson stepped away from the open rear of the Pelican. He grabbed one of the remaining sniper rifles from the Pelican's internal weapons racks, "Make it a quick and tight dispersal!! Team two cover for the rest of drop and make sure that _fifty _gets set up A-sap! As for the rest of you ladies, see what you can find for cover! Sandbags, crates, anything!"

"

Sir!" one of the Marines asked, "Where's the Chief?"

The black Marine pulled back the receiver of the SA2 and slid in a clip, "The Chief is gonna be there, don't you worry! As for cover, sniper teams are on standby. They are back on the ridge and are covering our advance! Don't leave it up to them though! Marines, it's time rock!"

"Ugh!" one of them moaned, "You're nothing going to make us listen to that old stuff again, are you Serg?"

* * *

X

X

1545 November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Near Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

"Are you ready Spartan?" Falco glanced his eyes only; out to the side of his right wing, "We'll be within range of those Seraphs in no time."

"What about the troops on the ground," the super soldier asked.

"We'll mop up as much of these airborne bogeys as possible; then, we'll leave the stragglers to Slippy. We'll make a run in with the Control Room deck and mow down the Covenant ground forces using the Plasma Cannon."

The Spartan placed his finger on the trigger of the weapon, "What are the limitations of this weapon?"

Falco's wings danced over the consol of the Arwing, "You'd have to ask Slippy for all the details. But what I can tell you is that as long as you are within range of the Arwing, it is fit with unlimited charge. As long as you are on the wing, this ship's battery will charge the weapon. It will not over heat either, and has an automated tracking system. Just point in the general direction and it will do the rest."

John turned off the communication channel to privately chat with his AI, "Cortana?"

The artificial intelligence marveled, "This is truly something unique! It runs on a system similar to the defensive MAC guns. A super sonic power frequency is used to transmit pure energy from this ships core to the weapon, similarly to how the MAC guns have superconductive coils on the surface of a planet, and the energy can be transmitted wirelessly."

"Which means that…?"

"As long as this Arwing's core stays intact, feel free be your trigger happy self Master Chief."

The heavily armored soldier switched back to the open channel just to catch the end of what Falco Lombardi was saying, "… so are you listening? Just don't fall of ok?"

"Just don't get shot down."

"Relax, I've seen what these guys can do! They're no match for us."

The Spartan replied in a mumble, "Don't get over confident."

"Hah! Let's just see how your shot fairs up to how good McCloud's was!!"

Cortana broke them up, "That's enough you two. Chief, just concentrate fire on the Arwing's six o'clock."

"That's right Spartan," added the avian, "Anything in front, I'll take care of."

"Affirmative, don't make any mistakes."

"Why you…!"

"Enough!" the Spartan's AI had the break them up again.

The Spartan felt the ship, slowly speed up as it pressed forward in front of all the other Coalition ships. He pulled the weapon over his shoulder, and stared down the sites. He knew the weapon must have been within range when a red circle appeared over the nose of a Banshee, the most heavily armored part.

Falco pulled down on the trigger, blue lazar bolts exploded out from under the wings of the fighter. The blue bolts fired in pairs, lancing out into the Covenant craft's fuselage; sparks and metal screamed as it dived towards the water in an effort to shake the incoming fire. Falco dipped the nose of the ship and tracked it, and with no more then three pulls of the trigger, a purple Banshee blasted out of the sky.

"What are you doing Spartan!? Open up!!" Falco blurted in inpatients.

The Spartan knew that the noses of the fighters were heavily armored, "Get me an angle."

"To h-ll with an angle!! Fire!!"

John tracked the fighter with the red circle that the weapon had placed over it. He doubted the power of the gun, but once again looked down the sites, and depressed the trigger. Green orbs of plasma burned out of the barrel, and raced toward their locked target.

This Covenant Banshee had no chance either. The first ball of white hot plasma was only followed by dozens more, and then ripped their way through the hull. The Brute pilot took too long to turn off, and the fighter began to spiral toward the waters below. As soon as that one went down, the weapon automatically tracked onto another one, being ready before the Spartan.

Out of the corner of his eye, the warrior saw an identical ship to the one that he was riding on slip past them. It fired a huge red ball of that made a shimmering sound as if flew threw the atmosphere. The Master Chief felt a thump on his chest as the bomb exploded. The Phantom that the explosive struck seemed to disappear in the bright flash of light, heated air rushed past John, and it if weren't for the weight of his armor or the magnetic clamps in his boots, he was sure he would have been knocked off.

"Yeah!" Slippy said with excitement, "Enemy ship down!"

"Careful with those Bombs and an eye on your six Slip. McCloud ain't around to save it."

"I get it Falco! Don't worry! These dropships are slugs compared to the Arwings!"

The Plasma Canon locked onto another target, and the Spartan pulled down on the trigger. Instead of a stuttering and jolty upward walk of the barrel, this weapon's fire was smooth like water coming out of a hose, making it easy to control and easy to keep on the target.

"Chief, the Marines have landed," Cortana informed him. It's by the request of Sergeant Major Johnson that you come by for a visit."

"We can do better then that!" Falco eavesdropped, "Slippy! Cover my tail, the Spartan and me are going to make a run in with the Control Room!"

The Spartan knew what he was up to, "Keep us high enough, the Grunts are better with a Plasma grenade than you think."

"Roger, I can do that," Falco slowly banked the fighter around, back toward the flight deck of the Control Room, "Slippy will keep the enemies behind us busy," he pressed on the accelerator a little harder, seeing dots on the deck, "Alright, you should be in range… Now!"

Before the warrior opened up, Cortana heed him, "Remember 117. There are friendly forces down there. We wouldn't want to…"

"Relax," the Spartan waited another moment for the weapon to lock on and depressed the trigger.

* * *

X

X

1559 November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

"Where's the Chief!? We're being overrun!!" Johnson loaded a fresh clip into the empty sniper rifle. They had managed to set up a conservative offensive position, but it was hard to even peak out of cover, without feeling the heat of plasma bolts or slice of Spike rounds whizzing past their heads.

And the Brutes were getting closer. The man watched as a Cornerian Marine poked his head out of the cover, lift the rifle to his shoulder, and unload a magazine into a charging Brute. The Brute howled and dropped. And so did the large husky. A pair of spikes dashed toward him, one of which ricochet off the green crate, catching the edge. The other one hit his shoulder, making the last few rounds in the assault rifle coast into the air above, as the canine fell.

"Medic!" another dog shouted.

Sergeant Johnson pulled the pin on a grenade and blindly tossed it over the box he was hiding behind. After, the exposition and subsequent cries of a pack of Grunts, he poked the long muzzle of the rifle around the edge of the box. The door was still at least two hundred meters out, and the area was vibrant with Covenant troops.

He placed the reticule over the head of an Elite in purple armor. The splash from a far off grenade pushed the barrel over ever so slightly, and the 14.5 millimeter tracer round passed just to the left of the Elites head, just over its shoulder.

Without hesitation, the purple Sanghelli tried to evade any subsequent shots, but by then, Johnson had already fired another round. The high velocity bullet tore at the air and caught the Covenant warrior in the neck, severing its head. Johnson took the time to scoff at the Elite's body even as Spiker rounds and plasma soared around him. "Don't lose your head on me now!" He gave a dry chuckle before ducking back behind the crate, hearing the sparking of plasma where he had just been.

A Marine standing on against another crate across from him shouted over the commotion, and grinned, "Sir! Tracers work both ways!!"

"I know that Lopez!"

"So where is he!? Where's the Chief!?

"He'll be dropping by for a visit soon! Until then we need to hold this line! Understood!?"

"Understood, Sir!"

"Matheson!" Johnson barked, "Where is our sniper support!?"

"There having problems acquiring targets at that range! Wind currents are extremely choppy and all the bogeys are on the move! At that range a shot would be tough!"

A feline armed a grenade and lobbed it into the chaos, "Their getting closer!!" he pointed his paw around the corner and fired his M6D blindly. The Sergeant Major watched a Grunt jump, before the feline blindly raised the muzzle of the barrel and caught the Grunts gas tank, making it suffocate.

The Sergeant nabbed the radio from the tech, "Chief! We could really use your help down here!!"

Another voice came of the radio, "This is Starfox, on station and ready to help out."

Over all the commotion everyone could hear a high hissing. Where they looked up, they all saw the belly of a white and blue aircraft passing no more then twenty meters above.

It began to circle the base, but it's weapons weren't pointed at the ground troops. Until, from over the wing came a hail of green plasma rounds falling down not at the Coalition fighters, but plasma at the Covenant themselves.

Each bolt from the strange blue fighter was generously returned. As the ship sped up, all the bolts flew uselessly into the air behind.

"That's the Chief!" said the Marine Sergeant, "Everyone open up, Now! Lets cut 'em down!!"

X

X

Even through the armor, the Spartan could feel the heat radiate off the massive weapon he was firing. He locked onto a Brute Captain; it did a 180 degree spin as the rounds washed across its single side.

"Spartan," the avian pilot said calmly, "More Covenant air forces inbound."

"Take me in close," the man said deeply.

"Got it. Use the clips on the side of the Arwing to secure the Plasma Cannon, just incase we need it later."

The Spartan abided, and soon had the weapon securely attached to the wing fuselage of the craft, "Ready."

The super soldier grabbed the edge of the Arwing's bladed wing as the craft sped up. It began to bank and then headed right toward the center of the Covenant stronghold. As the ship passed over the Coalition, he let himself slip off the wing, falling a small distance of ten meters and sliding.

He was nothing but a stream of sparks on the deck. John pulled the M6D from its holster, and lifted it with his right arm as he slid. He caught two Grunts in the head he coasted past, but his inertia soon came to a stop at the feet of a Brute.

The Brute roared and raised its Brute Shot above its head and brought it down on the Master Chief. His shields sparked but didn't give, and John rolled to his side and sent two rounds up to the hairy apes head, the Brute collapsed next to its crude weapon.

As the Spartan made it to his feet, he realized his shield was less then half charged. But there was no where to hide, he would have to fight his way through it until he found sufficient cover, or the Coalition forces mopped up the troops that he had already passed.

They soon would. The Spartan had sure shook them up and confused them at least. Their front line of defense was no more when John scooped up the Brute Shot and emptied its remaining grenades; Grunts and Jackals that made up the defensive wall of fodder soared through the air, some missing limbs.

After discarding the empty weapon, John plucked up a Covenant Carbine from a fallen Brute and tried to take cover behind a purple crate. Leaving one side blind, three spike rounds ricocheted of off his shields, leaving him with just a sliver of protection.

He tried to make himself smaller, but a whole line of enemy reinforcements ordered themselves to the position of the Chief. His enhanced mind looked for a solution, but he didn't mean to find one.

A high whistling sound hummed behind him, he looked, shifting his eyes only. An Arwing swooped in low and riddled the area with bombs and short blue beams of lazar fire. Even through the air scrubbers in the Spartan's armor he could smell the flesh and fur of the aliens be burnt by the Cornerian plasma technology.

He could hear Falco's voice over the speakers in his helmet, "That one was on the house Chief! Area within a fifty meter diameter of you is clear! Good luck, and finish Halo!"

Cortana assessed the situation, "Chief, if we can't find the Index, then we can't be sure that Halo can be safely left until we find a way to destroy it. We need to find Apologetic Helix. It has the key."

"Affirmative," John's shield recharged to their fullest setting. He looked over his shoulder to see the Coalition making their advance. They doubled up, taking cover behind whatever they could, including the dead.

John peeked around the purple ammunition crate and mowed down as many targets as he possibly could and as the forces made their advance, they cleaned up the whole deck in a matter of minuets, taking minimal friendly casualties.

Lylatian soldiers kicked dead bodies, and finished off the straggling and panicking Grunts. Soon, they had retaken the Control Room. Many troopers discarded their weapons and picked up some of the Covenant's because they didn't have enough ammo to bother with. They all coordinated to make a defensive position, in front of the massive sealed off doors of Echo Halo's control center.

The Spartan was soon approached by Johnson, who shook his head, "Do you _always _have to make an entrance!? Why can't this old Marine get any glory!?"

John smiled inside his helmet and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Cortana. What do we need to do now? What's the orders?"

"As I was saying to the Chief earlier," she paused, "We need to find the Index. Helix probably has it, and he is most likely inside."

The Sergeant jumped to work, "Alright Marines! You heard her, we aren't finish…"

"Wait!" Cortana stopped him, "Recall why we left here in the first place Sergeant Major."

He thought for a moment, and then scratched his chin, "The Flood."

"Correct. The Chief and I will go in alone. Get some techs to open the door. But just a little bit. Have everyone else cover to make sure not a single pod breaks free if they try to escape."

Johnson gestured with his head to the Marine technician, "You got that Matheson?"

"Sir! Yes Sir!" the Marine stepped toward the door panel, "Ok, ready."

"Do it, and don't call me Sir! I ain't an officer! Unlike them, I work for a living!" ordered the Sergeant.

"Yes Sir," the combat technician said absent mindedly as he tapped at the pad, "Opening now."

Cortana gave the Spartan the little info that she had, "The motion tracker isn't reading anything on the other side, but that doesn't mean that they aren't there. Keep a sharp eye."

"When don't I?" It was a rhetorical question, not meant to be answered.

The door slowly slid apart. As there became enough room, the Spartan slipped through, only having it close behind him. It was nearly completely dark inside. And not a sound was transmitted.

He turned the flashlights on the side of his helmet on and quickly searched the end of the barrel around. But, there was nothing. It was silent. There was nothing.

"Assessment?"

"It looks pretty quiet Chief," the AI stopped for a moment to think.

"Can you do anything about the lights?"

"One second working…" in an instant the blue lights illuminated the room. There were no dead bodies, but there were trails of green slime on the floor. That was all that was needed though.

Spartan 117 turned his flashlight off, "Anything else?"

"No…" she paused for a moment before going on, "Wait… thirty five meters forward, behind one of the small cover walls in the center of the hall. Hmmm… the FOF tags aren't synchronized," she placed a way point on his HUD, "Be careful Chief. It could be friendly."

"Allright," he said, slightly annoyed. "But I don't see how there could be friendly Cortana. No one else has been here since we evacuated." The Spartan remained silent as his boots ever so lightly tapped on the floor. He armed his Carbine, put his back on the wall and rolled his shoulders around the corner. He put the finger on the trigger, but failed to pull it in.

"Wait!" his target said. He now stood above one blue and one red fox.

"What!?" The ship AI said in awe, "You're alive!! Both of you!!"

"That's right," Krystal said calmly. The blue vixen had placed Fox's arm around her shoulders and was now nearly supporting all of the larger vulpine's weight. The red candid looked barely conscious, and was very beat up as well.

His eyes fluttered, as he held himself together, "What took you so long?" he said, weakly chortling to himself, a weak yet relived smile spreading across his face.

"We have to get out of here," Krystal warned them, "The Flood. They'll be back soon."

"Not until I find the Index," replied the Spartan.

The vulpine coughed, "Oh," he reached to his belt, "This thing?" he held out a luminous key.

The Spartan gently took it out of his paw, "Where did you get this?"

It took all of the fox's strength to widen his smile, "I took it off this dead guy. I didn't think he needed it as much is I did," he then groaned, letting his head feebly fall forward.

The vixen looked up at the man helplessly, as if she was about to cry, "We've got to get him out of here. He needs help."


	34. Send Him Home

**Ch. 34: Send Him Home**

1617 November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) / Echo Halo Control Room, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Chief!" Cortana nagged the super human warrior. "We have only a short time to get out of here. Long range motion sensors are picking up multiple enemy contacts."

The Spartan nodded and turned to stare at the pair of vulpine, hefting his carbine and slinging it over his shoulder to place it next to the shotgun that was clamped to his back. "Chief…." Cortana murmured, her voice rising in pitch slightly, "The Flood are closing in _very_ quickly… and if we want to get out of here, then we have to move. _Now_."

The Spartan's mind worked quickly, plucking the red vulpine from the ground, and slinging him over his shoulder; careful to avoid placing Fox against his weapons.

Fox growled when the bones in his body creaked and groaned as he settled on the Spartan's shoulders. The red furred fox whimpered in pain, causing him to grind his fangs together as his sight started to blur, inky blackness eating away at the edges of his vision. John then picked up a random weapon from off of the ground, a Covenant Carbine, and tried to hand it to the vixen.

Krystal wrapped both paws around the butt of the Blaster. "No thanks. I've got my own."

John shrugged and ejected the weapons near full clip and tossed it into one of the suits many ammunition pouches before tossing it to the side.

The vixen's sixth sense warned her heavily. She could feel every creature closing in around them. It wouldn't be long now before the area was covered in Flood warriors.

Krystal looked up to see Fox's eye fluttering weakly. His mouth opened as if he was about to say something, but he never did get the chance. The vulpine's green eyes rolled back into his head and his chin bounced on the plates on the back of the Spartan II's armor.

The super soldier looked over the fox on his shoulder, "Let's go."

She nodded, "I couldn't be happier."

The little blue fox and the Spartan both ran. John kept his pace to a minimum to ensure that Krystal would be able to keep up and make it out in time.

He heard Cortana's voice echo in his speaker, "Cortana to Sergeant Johnson, the Chief and I are about to make our exit, with two additional survivors. Have the doors ready."

"Roger that Cortana," the reply came. "Wait… I'm sorry, did you say _survivors_?"

"Affirmative, have the tech open the doors."

The black wall seemed the part in a tall silver line as light from the outside filtered in through the tiny opening. But there was another problem, the growling and gurgling was getting louder; the Flood were after them and, they were closing in. The Spartan burst through the open doors, quickly fallowed by the Cerinian, vixen, Krystal.

Krystal rolled out of the doors, tumbling to a heap on the ground. She shook her head, dizzy and still on the ground. She immediately covered her head with both paws when the rattle of weapons began. Then they all stopped, she listened attentively listened to spent shell casing bound on the floor.

The vixen leaped to her feet, and spun around on the heel of her boot. She snatched the Blaster from the ground and placed it in the empty holster. Immediately she looked for any sign of the Spartan and even more so, worried for the well being of Fox. He looked really bad.

Her vibrant eyes soon found him and the Spartan. He placed him down, and he fell limp with his back propped against a wall.

"Medic!" she heard someone yell.

The vixen sprinted the short distance and slid on her knees to the fox as another Cornerian soldier moved the BR55 around over his back and set it up right beside the casualty.

She could sense his mind. He was still alive, but she didn't know for how long. She waited anxiously, "Is he going to be alright?"

The black lab ran a scanner transmitting a blue light over the vulpine's torso, "He's got a minor concussion, a few bruised ribs, and a hairline fractured collar bone. Let's add on mild hypothermia and some bruising." he looked up at the vixen and smiled. "But he's gonna pull through. But we're going to have to get him out of here. Captain McCloud is in no shape to wage a war. When he wakes up on the Greatfox, tell him lots of rest. Doctors orders."

Krystal looked, "You mean…"

The Spartan loomed over her, "Both of you are POWs, that is your ticket home."

Krystal slowly let her gaze fall to the face of the unconscious vulpine. She knew that he wouldn't be happy about this. He wanted to fight it out. But, it didn't make sense. The Coalition needed every person possible. Halo was still here, and it wasn't finished.

Well, as unhappy as it would make Fox, it did the exact opposite for Krystal. She couldn't have been happier to leave the battle ground. Sometimes Fox was a little to headstrong for his own good, but whether he liked it or not, he was going home.

Krystal stared at the heavily armored superhuman in question. "But, what about Halo?"

Her reply was given by the ship AI, "We have a plan to eliminate Halo. When the Cornerian ship went down, we confirmed that its cold fusion plasma reactor remained intact. If we can get it to detonate, then that will be the end of Halo. The surviving Coalition troops will be transported to the Horror Frost, and the Greatfox."

"My, what an original plan. Isn't that the same course of action we took with the first Halo?" John interjected with his dry sarcasm. Cortana was about to scold the Spartan but the blue vixen before them decided to intervene with a question of her own.

Krystal cocked her head, "Who gave permission to send troops to the Greatfox?"

Cortana almost laughed, "Captain Falco Lombardi."

Krystal puffed her cheeks, "_Captain_ Lombardi? Figures. He's not going to be happy about this."

Krystal brought herself to her feet as a group of Cornerian Marines placed the red vulpine's body on a stretcher, quickly cutting his clothing to assess damage and inserting IV drips. The blue vixen walked beside Fox's unconscious body as they moved it toward the humming Pelican.

John turned to a Marine and grabbed his shoulder, "I need weapons." He murmured in his baritone, "Leave me a crate so I can pick and choose."

The Cornerian Marine gave a short laugh, "Say no more Chief," he chuckled, sweeping his arm in front of him towards the cockpit of the ship, the pilot nodded and dropped a crate attached to a hard point on the underbelly of the craft, "That little supply jump from the Great Fox gave us enough to spare."

With a crisp salute, which the one hundred and seventeenth Spartan promptly returned, the marine quickly moved over to the bundle of medics gathered around the last McCloud. They placed a blanket over the fox's body, and the Marines inside the Pelican grabbed the stretcher and pulled it inside. "All right boys, lets get the Skipper out of here."

Another Cornerian grabbed Krystal's paw and hoisted her in, "Next stop, the Greatfox," he then looked out the rear of the ship. "Good luck Spartan. Hit 'em hard."

The Spartan watched the Pelican ship slowly take off, hovering in the air for a moment before executing a one-hundred and eighty degree turn and began to gain altitude. The last thing he saw before the blast doors slid shut on the back of the ship was the grateful and relived smile of a blue vixen. Krystal shot him a sloppy solute as a thank you.

John just gave a slight nod in return and then walked over to the Coalition weapons crate that the Pelican crew had been so gracious to leave him. _Decisions, Decisions._ The Chief thought as he opened the crate and surveyed its contents.

He dumped the Covenant Carbine on the floor as well as its ammunition, pulling out four fragmentation grenades and clipping them onto his belt next to the four plasma grenades he acquired on his slog through the Covenant troops.

John removed his nearly spent shotgun and opened up a box of shells, sliding three of the box's thirty-six ten-gauge shells into the tube magazine before securing as many shells as he could onto his armor; satisfied when the ammunition counter in his helmet blinked that the weapon was full. With a slight grin the Chief slid the shotgun onto his back, letting go once the magnetic clamp secured it before setting his sights on an MA5C Assault Rifle nestled between two BR55 battle rifles.

John grabbed the rifle from the crate and secured multiple clips to the magazine slots in his armor before he pulled the charging handle, pleased when the weapon counter read a crisp '32'. Next the Chief exchanged his slow but powerful M6E pistol for two lead spitting 5.5 mm SMGs and secured as much ammo to his thigh plates as the armor would allow before attaching the weapons themselves to his person.

Once he was fully armed, he turned to scan the skies, "So, Cortana. What's our transport?"

Another voice cut in, "It's right here!"

John looked over his shoulder as a small cloud of dust rinsed over his armor. The blue and white fighter craft that he had ridden on earlier hovered easily above the balcony; UNSC soldiers unlucky enough to not have a sealed helmet were forced to cover their eyes and mouths as the dust swirled around in the air.

With a shrug, the Spartan began to walk towards the Arwing at a brisk pace. Once within distance, he bent his knees and leapt into the air to land gracefully on the wing of the fighter. The craft dipped and swayed for a moment under the initial stress, but Falco quickly brought it under control.

John hunkered down to ensure that he had a good footing. "Punch it."

Falco laughed before hitting the throttle, "I can do that!"

John struggled to hold on at the ship leaped forward. Quickly Cortana adjusted the strength of his magnetic clamps and John wrapped his gloved hands around the edge of the wing as he lowered himself as much as possible; the armor locking in place to lessen the stress on the Spartan. The ship was fast, and it had proven its combat prowess more then once already; which made the super soldier wonder why the Cornerians were using human weapons instead of their own.

Falco loosened his grip on the controls and began to relax, "So Cortana, how far to Ripper's location?"

"From the projections taken from the Horror Frost, it is fifteen hundred kilometers up-spin from the Control Room, Mister Lombardi." Cortana stated matter-o-factly.

The avian chuckled dryly. "That's Captain to you."

Cortana paused. "I wouldn't be so sure."

"What? Why!? Fox is dead I…"

"_Captain_ Fox McCloud was found alive in the Control Room of Halo, alive with his little friend."

"What!? How come no one told me!? When!?"

"It happened two minuets ago, when the Chief and I went to retrieve the Index."

"Both of them!? Krystal and Fox are both alive? Are you sure?"

The Cortana in Chief's mind placed her hands on her hips and gave the avian an incredulous look. "Well, the Chief did carry his still breathing body out of the clutches of the Flood…so…yes. Fox McCloud is alive and well. Both of them are inbound to the Greatfox. He… just doesn't know it yet."

Falco sighed in relief. "He's not gonna' like waking up on the Greatfox. I'm gonna have to have a little talk with him too."

John interrupted. "Could we try to stay on task?"

Cortana agreed. "Yes. How fast can we be there in?"

Falco grinned, "That depends."

The Chief grew impatient, "On what?" his baritone rumbled throughout the avian's speakers.

The blue raptor grinned, "On how hard you can hang on."

Right on cue, as the avian finished the statement, the ship jumped forward and angled its nose to the sky. It soon cut through the clouds, and flew far above them. Falco steadied the Arwing's level, "I can have you there in one hour, maybe even less. See, if we can avoid patrols, and if not… we'll just outrun them."


	35. The Ripper

Co Authors Note: Hello everyone. It's Ignorant One here with the editor's note. Well, actually it's now the "co-author's" note since Syxx gave me the immense honor of finishing off the last two chapters of _Echo Halo: Run Alive Through the Light_.

I am trying my hardest to give you a compelling and interesting ending…and it would be very appreciated if you would give me the same support you would give to Syxx. Anyways, just tell me if you think I did a good enough job and please review!

Syxx's note is at the end of the chapter so you will hear from him.

Read, Review, and Enjoy! :D

* * *

**Ch. 35: The Ripper**

1652 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) Great Fox Infirmary, Orbiting Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

**X**

"Allright Marines, on three," a hound stated, gripping a corner of a white sheet that held Fox McCloud's battered body. The other three Cornerian Marines nodded in confirmation before waiting his command.

"One…two…three."

With practiced efficiency, the four marines lifted the fox up in unison and set him on a fluffy white gurney before three of them took a step back to survey the Lylatian Captain's condition. "Hey Corpsman, McCloud looks pretty bad…are you sure his injuries aren't worse than you thought?" A feline asked, adjusting the strap on his Battle Rifle as he slung it over his shoulder.

The Lylatian medic chuckled as he pulled out an IV from Fox's arm and with a steady paw inserting another one in its place; tapping the glass to make sure the nutrient drip was in place. "Of course he'll be fine. I've seen and treated worse. I treated a Hell Jumper… Specialist Joseph Heeler I think was his name," he said, moving around to unzip the mercenary's jacket and putting it aside to survey the bruising, "He took a spiker round to the center of his chest and fell out of a Pelican when we assaulted the Control Room. Fell thirty feet onto the ground…"

The hound put on a set of disposable gloves and moved to the red vupline's face, using a pair of thinning shears to trim the fur around a small cut above Fox's right eye before methodically stitching it shut. A silver fox shifted his assault rifle from paw to paw, "Did he live?"

Corpsman Daniels shook his head, long ears swaying, "Yes. He survived the spike, and the thirty foot drop. But he landed right in the middle of a pack of Brutes. He managed to hold them off from his position for a couple minutes… just long enough get out a radio for evac…but by the time we got there, the Brutes were on him like stink on sh-t. Once we killed the thugs…all we could find were bits and pieces."

The Marines in the room shook their heads, "Wow…that sucks…" They chorused, paying their respects silently to the UNSC Specialist. With a bowed head Daniels attached a number of tubes to a small machine built into the bulkhead of the infirmary and started wrapping the vulpine's head with a thick gauze. "Well boys, we are done here. Send Mrs. Krystal in if you would, she might need a little alone time with her hubby to be."

The Marines chuckled at the medic's presumptive remark and shook their heads before they filed out of the room, playfully slapping each other on the backs before they headed down the hallway to the hanger.

Daniels chuckled and grinned as he washed his paws and flipped on the various monitors hanging above the unconscious McCloud's bed; the steady beeping of the vulpine's heart monitor filling the sterile white room. As a precaution, he quickly placed Fox's arm in a sling to prevent anymore damage to the vulpine's fractured collarbone.

The light tap of boots made the Cornerian hound turn around, a blue vixen coming into the room. He nodded his helmeted head and waved to her, a grin across his muzzle and a southern twang in his voice, "Well little lady, your boyfriend is in a stable condition and should be waking up soon. I've set the auto-injector to dispense some painkillers at regular intervals and I've bandaged up his_ thick skull_ to keep some pressure on his head. That should reduce the pain from his concussion. But… don't be surprised if he's drowsy and confused when he comes too."

His grin spread when Krystal blushed and averted her eyes from the other fox at his comment. "Don't worry Ma'am, I won't tell a soul…but its plain as day. Anyways," the hound said, changing the subject quickly. "For the next couple of days, unless Skipper wants a splitting headache, he shouldn't be walking around. So he'll have himself…" he turned around and walked over to the corner of the room, pulling out a foldable wheelchair and carted it over, "A nice set of wheels to get around the Greatfox with."

Krystal arched and eyebrow and folded her arms underneath her breasts, giving the Corpsman an incredulous look. "You can't be serious…"

The hound sighed and nodded his head. "Yes, I'm serious."

The blue vixen placed a paw over her muzzle and stifled a giggle, "Fox won't be too happy to hear that he'll be confined to that contraption over the next couple of days."

Corpsman Daniels shrugged and packed up his gear, "So miss, is there anything else I can do for you?"

Krystal shook her head, "No, there really isn't. Thank you so very much for helping us."

The hound smiled and nodded, "Not a problem, just doing my job. In any case," he said, shifting slightly from his front leg to his back leg, "This infirmary has enough room for a few more gurneys… so I'd like to ask for permission to move a few of our more seriously wounded in here for treatment. I'd think they'd like it much better than a hanger. Besides, the auto-dispensers would take a strain off the rest of our medics."

Krystal nodded and swept her arms around the area, "Of course you can. Anything you need, you can use. Just make sure to put it back as you found it."

The medical specialist smiled and tipped his helmet, "Mighty appreciated. I'll move them in here in an hour or so… that should leave you some time with Mr. McCloud." He exited the room quietly as Krystal pulled up a chair next to Fox's bedside and rested her head on the gurney; eyes watching over the last McCloud. Worrying. Thinking

* * *

.

X

X

1721 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

The Master Chief shook off the g-forces that pulled down on his body as the Arwing he was currently perched on banked hard to the right and pulled up sharply to avoid plasma fire from stationary turrets located around the perimeter of the Cornerian war ship _Ripper_. "If you destroy them on the way in, then it would make our return trip that much easier." John drawled in his baritone, "Once they figure out that we are trying to blow Halo apart, those gunners will try _that_ much harder to shoot us down."

Falco shrugged and pulled the trigger in quick, stuttering bursts of laser fire; strafing the fighter to the left and to the right so the particle beams lanced into the numerous Shade turrets stationed throughout the forest floor. "Wow, they'd fight even if it's all over? They must really love this ring." Falco snorted.

John was about to reply when Cortana cut him off. "Listen up Mr. Lombardi; these rings are _central_ to their whole religion. They believe that when they fire of this ring, it will lead on a 'Great Journey', a journey which will lead them to their version of paradise."

Falco chuckled as he launched off a nova bomb, detonating it in the center of a Banshee formation and sliding his Arwing to the right to avoid retaliatory plasma fire from the Shades stationed throughout the forest. "Wow, what a bunch of losers."

"This coming from a Lylatian whose race is already near the brink of extinction?" Cortana said, "This coming from a race that's lost every engagement, whether ground or in space, that didn't involve your team? All I'm saying is that you need to be careful. The Covenant are _very_ serious about this and would kill each other if it meant getting them one step closer to paradise. So if you want to get yourself killed, be my guest. Just don't drag us down with you. Myself and the Chief are mission priorities. As far as the fate of the galaxy is concerned, you are expendable."

Falco seethed, "Well, if I remember hearing this correctly, you humans are almost extinct. So how does that make you any better than us?"

Cortana was quick to retort, drowning out John's order for them to stop their bickering. "We've fought for _thirty plus_ years in this never ending conflict. You, on the other hand, are barely hanging on at the seven month mark! And let's not mention that the Covenant are _this_ close to discovering your home world and glassing it!" Cortana spat, her temper getting the better of her.

The avian was about to reply a few choice words on his mind, but a gout of plasma rose from the ground and nearly made contact; arcing just over the cockpit and nearly hitting the starboard wing. The intense inferno that the glob of plasma provided, blackened the entire top side of the Arwing.

Inside the cockpit Falco was shielded from the intense heat, but the Chief wasn't as lucky. The intense backwash from the discharge fully depleted the Spartan's shield; his skin blistering underneath the armor and a low dose of painkillers were quickly injected into his system. John hissed slightly at the in juries, but the drugs kicked in numbed the pain; giving him a chance to turn his head and find the culprit. He soon found it.

A shiny purple Wraith tank settled atop a barren hill had decided to take a pot shot at the Arwing, and thanks to Falco's and Cortana's argument; they had nearly evaporated the galaxy's last hopes.

The Spartan winced at how close the plasma mortar had come, "Enough! Cortana, access _The Ripper_'s blueprints and plan us the quickest and safest route to the core. And bird, keep your eyes on the path ahead. According to the _Horror Frost_ there should be some more anti-air Wraiths in the valley just as we crest this hill." Both parties nodded and Falco kept his eyes peeled for enemy fire as they quickly approached said hill.

"You're right Chief…I'll triangulate the Wraith positions and see if we can't get MAC gun support. A few well-placed rounds should make our 'stroll in the park' a little bit easier." Cortana chirped, her angry disposition replaced with a bright enthusiasm. John grinned a little.

The Arwing soared up over the top of the hill and the trio finally got a chance to see what the _Horror Frost_ was talking about when their reconnaissance report said there were anti-air defenses. Time seemed to stop as John surveyed the plateau that _The Ripper_ resided on. There were Shade plasma turrets, Banshee patrol craft, and a mixture of Artillery and Anti-air Wraiths. They were _everywhere_.

Chief spotted a dozen of each right off of the bat, and there were probably more on the other side of the Arwing. John swore to himself as they all began to fire. Thousands plasma rounds seared the air around the Arwing, filling his helmet with the smell of burnt ozone as Falco dodged and barrel-rolled to the best of his ability to avoid being incinerated by the fire. The falcon was good, but he couldn't dodge the large near wall of plasma that the Covenant had thrown at the trio.

Two rounds from most likely a Shade had burned through the wing John was hunkered down on and impacted with his shields; the warning bells in his helmet protesting as they dropped to fifty percent. "Cortana," John managed to bark as the heat from the plasma stole the air from his lungs, "Any help you could get us would be nice."

Cortana paused for a moment before speaking out, "Here comes the rain, Chief."

As soon as she finished speaking, a bright light lanced down from the sky and impacted the most densely populated section of the plateau. The ground beneath the Covenant forces buckled as a fifty-ton tungsten MAC round speared into the center of their defensive perimeter, creating a crater nearly a half-mile in diameter; the shockwave buffeted the Arwing and knocked the air from John's lungs. With a quick reassessment of the surrounding forces, the Spartan estimated that nearly forty percent of the anti-air units were decimated by the blow, but this did not dampen the Covenant morale.

If anything, it strengthened it. As he regained his breath John could hear the avian curse as the Arwing was forced to take more complex evasion maneuvers to dodge the incoming fire; which seemed to become more frequent and more accurate with each dive or climb Falco performed. "Cortana…"

"Already ahead of you Chief, I have just sent the next fire solution to the _Horror Frost_ and they should be firing momentarily." Cortana chirped.

Another MAC round speared through a formation of Banshees and impacted with a group of Wraiths. The scout craft were ripped apart when the round passed through their formation, the tanks and everything surrounding them were utterly annihilated as fifty tons of tungsten slammed into the earth.

The Arwing rocked from side to side again the shockwave from the MAC spread out from across the plateau. With another large chunk of the anti-air destroyed, Falco saw this as his chance to push through the gap in the Covenant's field of fire. "Hold on!" Falco roared into his headset. When he hit the boosters John was slammed with a significant rush of air; his armor warning bells ringing in his ears as he struggled to hold on.

"Falco!" Cortana cried out, "John will fall if you continue to sustain this speed! His gloves weren't designed to sustain the g-forces that this maneuver is applying to it! Its locking mechanism will fail if you don't slow down!"

"Just hold on!" Falco yelled in response as he shot over the plateau full of anti-air, thousands of bolts of plasma following in his wake, struggling to catch up to the silvery blue fighter. "Just a few more seconds and we'll be out of range!" The avian added into his mouth piece as he held the stick steady and watched as the booster gauge quickly changed colors; from blue to orange, and to a red. Once it turned red the Arwing's burst of speed quickly faded as it resumed its cruising velocity; vents opening up on the sides of the engines to expel the vast amounts of excess heat.

"There it is! _The Ripper_!" Cortana exclaimed as they quickly dived into a canyon at the edge of the plateau to avoid the remaining enemy fire only to pull back out of it when they had evaded. Once they crested the lip of the canyon, the wreckage of a Lylatian cruiser came into view. It was large and boxy, an estimated three hundred meters in length and had four large wing-like protrusions exiting diagonally along the hull; two of which were buried into the earth about a kilometer behind the wreckage, indicating that the ship had bounced upon impact.

"Take us in." John said as his armor adjusted itself to the sudden decrease in speed, warning bells slowly fading away as the stress on the suit lessened to a more manageable level. "We've got a ring to destroy."

* * *

X

X

1659 Units (Covenant Military Calendar) _The Ripper_ Data Core, Covenant Designated "Vengeance Plateau", Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

Ship Master Yaani growled as he tugged at a metal face plate that was guarding a data cache. With a roar and one final tug the plate peeled back and the gold armored Elite stepped aside as a Spec Ops Elite adorned with grey armor quickly took his place; pulling out a data pad and slicing into the multiple cables surrounding the information. "Be swift my brother," Yaani rumbled, "For we do not know when the parasite shall decide to visit."

"I will try Ship Master," Zuterio replied, retrieving a laser scalpel from his pack as he patiently split the seams between two thick bundles of wires, "But collecting data from such primitive systems is no easy feat. Besides, you seem eager for a glorious battle do you not, brother?"

Yaani clicked his mandibles in disapproval of the comment but kept watch over the doorway never the less; keeping a close eye on his motion sensor and both plasma rifles trained on their only entrance and their only exit. "Just hurry…I do wish for a battle, but becoming a new host to that filthy parasite is not a death I wish for. We only need one specific bit of information, everything else is irrelevant; remember that."

The Spec Ops Elite just nodded as he continued his work; attaching cables from his own pack to the freshly sliced cables from the data bank. A beep and a flash of blue light from the small monitor affixed to the grey Elite's wrist guard confirmed that it had started its hacking program; the program sifting through hundreds of files a minute, analyzing pertinent and relevant data and bypassing useless files. "We're in Ship Master…their firewalls are surprisingly weak…and their protocols for keeping personal data protected are pathetic! It is amazing that they have even lasted this long against-"

"Hush!" Yaani growled, lowering his stance as he carefully watched the doorway, a brief flicker of movement on his motion tracker flashed before disappearing. "My tracker had movement…" He murmured, turning his head to look at the grey Spec Ops Elite hunkered down by the data consol in the engineering bay of _The Ripper_. "How much faster can you work? I believe the parasite shall be upon us in a matter of cycles…"

"I am trying Ship Master, but my program is working as swiftly as possible and the more information we sift through the more their firewalls try to slow us down. It may take a few more cycles for us to find the information the Lesser Prophet of Tranquility requires of us…and it might take a few more cycles to crack it. I will, however, be downloading as much data on their weapons and fighters as possible…their homeworld might be better defended than we predict." The grey armored Elite replied, tapping his screen as he initiated more complex hacking programs as the Cornerian firewalls adapted to the older code.

"Very well, just monitor your motion tracker…I want an extra set of eyes peeled for parasite movement." Yaani said as he readjusted his grips on his modified Plasma Rifles; the gold paint of the weapons seeming to look like extensions of his gold armor. He refocused his view on the door and kept the weapons trained on the doorjam and eyes on his motion tracker.

* * *

X

X

1723 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", _The Ripper_, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

John watched intently as the wreckage zoomed into his view, Falco bringing the Arwing close to the nearest, most stable area for an insertion point Cortana could find. "Allright Chief. We'll try and stay away from the cramped corridors as much as possible and stick to the open areas and we'll swing by the Armory if we have to…if not, we'll head for the engineering block and rig the data core. Then we'll destroy the heat shields protecting the energy core before we haul a-s to the nearest extraction point."

Falco nodded as he tipped the wing, John released the magnetic clamps on his boots as he slid off of the wing and into the large tear in the Lylatian craft's armor; un-slinging his shotgun and flicking the safety off as he activated his helmet lamp. John surveyed the dark areas in the room; large pieces of equipment denoted a machine shop. Once it was all clear the Spartan turned back towards the Arwing, "Falco, you are extraction correct?"

The avian nodded, "Yeah, I'll fly you're a-ses out-" but his next words were drowned out by a loud thumping and a silvery green projectile slammed into the starboard wing, sheering it off and forcing the Arwing to the side. Without another word Falco managed to turn the ship around and turned it off towards space, engaging the booster to avoid any subsequent shot. "I'll comeback for you guys if I can…you might want to get some back up if possible!"

John sprinted towards the large opening in the armor and looked down just in time to see a silver armored Spec Ops grunt scurry off a large boulder with a Fuel Rod Cannon perched on its shoulder. He switched over to his MA5C and aimed his weapon but Cortana stopped him. "Hold on Chief, I'll get us a ride out of here, I've already informed Captain Mitchell of our situation and he'll spare a Pelican if can. But for now we need to worry about stopping the Covenant and destroying Halo."

For the first time in a long time Spartan 117 spared a Covenant soldier and he spun on his heel, replacing his Assault Rifle with his close range weapon; lodging the stock of the shotgun right up against his shoulder as he pressed his body right up against the side of the door. "You're right. Survival now, payback later." He said in his deep baritone.

"That's right." Cortana said as she crossed her arms over breasts, a small smile adorning her face, "Now, motion trackers aren't picking up anything, so we should be clear…but I want you to be extra careful. In our previous experiences we learned that the Flood don't always show up… so keep your eyes peeled." The AI gave a small, nostalgic laugh, "Be careful…there are two of us in here."

The conscripted soldier gave a small smile of his own and nodded, stepping into the hallway and scanning both sides in quick, precise sweeping motions with his floodlight and shotgun. Despite the seemingly dire situation, John and Cortana started walking down one of the few cramped corridors along their planned route with a lighter mood. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned.

* * *

Authors Note: Great job Ignorant One. Thanks a lot for helping me out here a bunch.

Keep it Open,  
SyxxFox

* * *


	36. The Demon

Co Authors Note:

_Hello everyone, Ignorant One here, and thank you for reading last chapter of Echo Halo: Run Alive Through the Light and thanks for all of the reviews. :D_

_Anyways, this is Part 1 of the final chapter, and Syxx Fox, if you read the note at the beginning of the last chapter, has given me the honor of writing the last few chapters. So I am trying my best to give the story an exciting conclusion worthy of the previous chapters._

_I asked you last chapter how you thought I did, and well, I haven't really heard from a lot of you…please review! This story isn't mine, its Syxx Fox's, but it feels like I am a part of it, so for the love of God, review!! XD_

_Well, here is part one the "season finale" you have all been waiting patiently for._

_Enjoy._

_Editor-in-Chief (and part-time co-author),_

_Ignorant One

* * *

_

**Ch. 36: The Demon  
**

**1725 Hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) Great Fox Infirmary, Orbiting Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

A quick cough echoed through the sterile air of Great Fox infirmary, bouncing off of the walls before entering in a certain vixen's ear. Krystal opened her eyes slowly and lifted her head off of her arms. Has the corpsman already started bringing in the wounded? She thought for a moment, looking at the eleven empty gurneys before looking at the door; shaking her head slightly from side to side.

Krystal yawned and brought a paw to her muzzle to stifle it, rubbing her cheek with the other hand as she looked over Fox. How long was I out? She wondered as she stroked the red vulpine's cheek, a small smile sliding across her face as his chest rose and fell in a timely and consistent manner. It was nearly a minute later and she laid her head back down on the side of the last McCloud's gurney, eyes flittering shut, nearly lulled back to sleep by the soft beeping of the vulpine's heart monitor.

The blue Cerinian was nearly asleep until a sudden spike in the monitor disturbed her. The beeping sped up as the heart rate started to rise; the unconscious fox's breathing steadily getting louder as the seconds passed. Krystal stood up quickly to call for a medic, but a hoarse cough brought her attention back to the only occupied gurney in the med bay.

The vixen's eyes widened when the fox on the table opened his eyes. Krystal immediately leaned over the gurney and took a closer look. "Fox?" She whispered carefully, trying her best not to speak to loudly; not wanting to aggravate the vulpine's concussion.

The red fox's eyes fluttered for a moment and he winced, green orbs slowly sliding over to lock with Krystal's cerulean ones. He opened up his muzzle, but what escaped his throat first was a dry squeak. Krystal lowered her ear to his muzzle, and Fox tried again to speak.

"Not so loud…please." He wheezed; his mouth dry and throat hoarse.

Krystal's eyes widened as she moved back to her seat. "Thank Goodness."

Fox turned his head and managed to fully open his eyes. Krystal wasn't surprised to find out that his eyes were blood shot and weary; his eyes moving slowly from side to side before he closed them. "My head is throbbing…and the light is too bright…"

Krystal immediately got up and walked to the illumination panel and lowered the brightness of the overhead fixtures. Fox sighed in relief. "God damn this hurts."

Krystal tsk'd but didn't reply, only walking over to the chair and sitting back down, grabbing a hold of his free hand and rubbing it. "So…how do you feel?"

Fox hissed slightly when he shifted, his collarbone flaring in pain and bruised ribs groaning in protest. "I feel like I got run over by the LandMaster…" He answered painfully. Then there was a hiss and the automated medication dispenser released a perfectly measured amount of painkillers into his system, quickly nullifying the pain. Fox took a pain free breath and looked at Krystal. "Where are we? Where is the Spartan?"

Krystal took a deep breath and closed her eyes before opening them. "Fox," the blue vixen began, rubbing his paw in earnest, "You have been taken out of the fight to receive immediate medical attention here on the Great Fox."

The Cerinian watched as the Cornerians facial expression changed from one of a hazy, painless bliss to a shocked and disappointed expression. The first stage was denial. "You have got to be kidding me. What about Halo!?"

Krystal firmed her grip on his hand, "No. A corpsman has just listed you as 'Unfit For Duty', and… you won't be going back to Halo. In fact, none of us will." She said, pausing a moment before adding, "We are going to destroy it."

"Destroy it!? What about everyone else!? We haven't been given orders to evacuate yet! We just can't leave them there!" The Fox said, wincing in pain despite the pain medications.

Krystal's ears flattened at the volume of his voice but she placed a paw on his leg. "Fox…we've removed everyone from Halo to both the Great Fox and the Horror Frost. We're full in the hanger, and there is barely enough room for Falco and Slippy to land their Arwings… everyone is present and accounted for. We're good to go."

Fox looked at her in disbelief. "Everyone? What of the Spartan? Where is he?"

"He's with Falco and Slippy…their already on their way. I think they're heading to The Ripper….but I wasn't given any information at all." She said as he crossed her arms, a slight pout marring her muzzle and ears flattening against her skull; reminding Fox of a child who didn't get the ice cream they wanted.

Fox nodded slightly, wincing at the throbbing in his skull despite the pain medications. "And where are-"

Krystal frowned and placed a finger to his lips, silencing the red fox. "Shhhh….Fox." She cooed, stroking the visible tips of his ears, "You need to stay down and relax. Its all been taken care of….the rest is all up to the Spartan and his AI companion. We'll know if he succeeds…and we won't live long enough to know we've failed. All in all…there is nothing more we can do other then sit back and watch how it all turns out."

Fox gave her a helpless look, his good arm tightening; his fist clenching. "I know that…it's just I don't like not being apart of it. I've made it too far to be taken out of the game in the "overtime" round…its just not…" He looked away from her for a moment, letting out a loud sigh, "It's just not fair."

The blue fox let out a rich laugh, her hands moving to cradle his good one. "My dear, Fox McCloud has enough fame to make him live in the hearts and minds for generations. You've outgrown your father's shadow…maybe its time you stepped aside and let someone else have a little of the glory. Everyone knows that the Spartan has been pulling the load of not only his troops, but since we joined forces, our troops as well…accomplishing things no one else could with the best of both our forces!"

Krystal giggled a little when Fox rolled his eyes, attempting to pout and cross his arms. "Oh come on Fox! I'm not saying that you aren't worthy of the spotlight! You took out nearly all of Andross' entire offensive capabilities and you stopped the Aparoids from invading… It's just that letting the Spartan have the spotlight among our troops could help ease tensions between our combined forces. Besides," She said, squeezing his hand, a little smirk curling across her lips, "I need you here…not there."

Fox looked at her, a small smile sliding across his muzzle. "All right then…but I want to be on the bridge when the ring blows…could be a great show of fireworks."

Krystal nodded. "All right…but you'll have to make it up in a wheelchair."

* * *

**1725 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", The Ripper, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

Despite the weight of the Mark VII armor, John's steps were extremely quiet; metal soles barely making a sound as he carefully treaded down the narrow corridors of the Cornerian warship The Ripper. "It should be about thirty-three meters down this hallway and then there should be a three-way intersection. Take a right when we get there and it should lead to a more open area... some breathing room."

The Spartan nodded and held his MA5C against his shoulder, eyes trained on the open doors and multiple vents lining the walls; weary and carefully watching his motion tracker for the slightest movement. The hallway he was walking down reminded him a Covenant's ship, the layouts similar and the automatic doors; the Chief noting the purple hues of the lighting throughout the ship. There was one obstacle though. A thick, green fog permeated the area, blocking out most of the light and obscuring his vision past thirteen feet; the smells of decaying flesh making its way past John's air scrubbers and into his helmet. "Looks like the flood have been here for a while, Cortana…how come we have yet to spot any?"

"They could be elsewhere…this is a lot of ship to just infest…Flood need bodies to increase their ranks. Also, since the Covenant started burning their dead to prevent their corpses from being used by the Flood, the Gravemind can only get his hands on living bodies…and since we moved everyone off of Halo…it can't get anymore."

Master Chief nodded and continued walking. A door opening up to his right caught his attention and he stopped; dropping to a knee and placing his reticule right over the opening of the door. His breathing increased as his body poised itself to inject adrenaline into his bloodstream…but nothing happened. The door shut slightly before opening again four seconds later. "Just a malfunction…Cortana…"

The AI grinned as she began to work on shutting down power to that door, "Way ahead of you Chief…"

Immediately the door stopped opening and shutting, the Spartan resuming his standing position and walked to the crewman's quarter, scanning the room from the doorway with his floodlight and assault rifle before stepping through. "Cortana…can you get some lighting in here?"

John smirked when she ran an audio file of knuckles cracking as she stretched out in his mind, "Of course…you do know who you're dealing with right?"

Two seconds later, the lights blinked on and were incredibly bright for a moment; the Mjolnir armor's helmet visor darkening to avoid disorienting the Chief. John quickly looked around the room and grabbed a journal off of the table next to the open door; opening it. Inside the front cover was the name and a rank of the owner. Ensign Martin Everest. Curious to know a little about this person, John read a few lines; being careful to watch his tracker...

_'January12th: It's amazing! I've finally earned my engineering degree and I have successfully joined the Cornerian Navy! Mom was so proud on graduation day…I wish dad could have been there to see it…he would have been happy to see me carry on the family tradition while continuing my dreams…'_

_'January 23rd: This is so cool! I get to serve on the new Solace class war vessel "The Ripper" on its maiden voyage! I mean…how many people get to say that they get to work with one of the system's greatest military and naval achievements!? Not many. That's right, this Ensign gets to work with the best tech junkies in the entire navy… if I work hard…soon I could become Lieutenant Junior Grade Evrest…'_

_'March 17th: We have received orders to report to the outer rim of the system to investigate an attack on a small mining colony…for some reason it doesn't sit well with me…if its just to check it out, then why is there a full battalion of Marines here? Something about this is sending alarm bells ringing in my head…I have a bad feeling about this…'_

_'March 23rd: We were attacked today at 1328 hours! I don't know what hit us or why…it was a large, shiny purple craft…that's all I know. We're turning tail faster than 23 rd Androssian Expeditionary fleet did when StarFox came blazing through the Venom Air Defense Zone! Considering we don't know the enemy or their capabilities…other than to nearly vaporize two and a half meters of reinforced Allinium-carbon alloy…so I guess it's better for us to leave. Oh! I better get back to work or the Lieutenant Commander will chew my tail off for sure! Besides…there is a pressure valve leaking on deck four in the armory that could use a little TLC…I'll get my boys on it right away.'_

John opened the next page, and two pieces of paper fell onto the floor. The Spartan cocked his head to the side a little, bending down to pick them up. The first one was a picture of a lanky German Sheppard wearing a naval uniform, white cap on his head and a big, goofy grin on his face; a beautiful female feline wrapping her arms around his waist. He looked at the picture a little longer and then looked at the other photo.

This one was just a little different. It featured the feline in the other picture except for one big difference. In this picture however, she was wearing nothing but a robe; the front half open, revealing a lot of shapely thigh and a generous amount of cleavage. There was a lip imprint made with red lipstick and a handwritten note in neat cursive on the back. 'You stay safe and stay true…this little picture is to remind you what lies behind the front door of our new home. Mrowl…come home soon and I'll show you just how well cats and dogs can really get along…your love, Jennifer.'

Cortana giggled, "I think we found the quarters of a newly wed naval officer Chief. But let's take the journal and the pictures and….according to the casualty records I've just pulled up, he's still alive and aboard the Horror Frost…he might appreciate it if we brought it back."

After a little debate, John placed the pictures in between the pages of the journal and set it in a little nook in the back plate of his armor; Cortana tightening the armor to hold the notebook in place. "Come on John…we've got a war to win…let's get moving. Besides, this fog gives me the creeps…"

"Affirmative." Was all the Spartan said, picking up his MA5C and stepping out into the hallway; his assault rifle poised and already sweeping down both sides of the corridor. He carefully stepped out and surveyed the area, the fog seeming to dissipate slightly; offering him a few more feet of precious visibility. "How far are we from the Engineering block?" He said as he double checked all of his equipment, running a quick diagnostic on his armor while they had a moment of no action. He waited for an answer.

"We're about halfway there Chief…and your suit diagnostic reports that your armor is fully functioning. We need to head out about fifteen more meters and then we'll get too that three way intersection I talked about before."

John nodded and flicked on his helmet flood light, carefully stepping forward with his assault rifle leveled, sweeping the barrel of the automatic weapon from side to side and up and down; making sure to check each little nook and cranny in the corridor to expose any would be Flood Infection forms that might be lurking beyond the piercing gaze of his floodlight. It took him less than a minute to reach the end of the corridor, his sweeps not picking up any Flood movement, and he now gazed at a wall with two different paths; one branching off to the left, and the other heading to the right.

The Spartan noticed two signs with arrows pointing in either direction. There was writing on both of the painted signs, but they were written in blocky lettering that neither Cortana nor her updated translation software could. "Well…" The AI quipped, "They can speak our language…but they certainly can't write it…when we blow this ring, I'm gonna' want their version of a dictionary so I can write a program because these block letters are giving my sub routines a migraine. By the way, just turn right Chief…"

John quirked and eyebrow at her comment, raising his MA5C back to his shoulder once more as he slowly plodded down the murky green, mist filled hallway. "A migraine?" He said, a grin tugging at the edges of his lips.

Cortana huffed and crossed her arms in his mind, "I was speaking figuratively. Just because you're an anti-social killing machine doesn't mean I have to be too. Unlike you, I actually socialize with people and other AI."

John kept his eyebrow arched and smile quirked, "Unlike you, I don't have sub routines to micro manage every little thing…besides, I'm always busy…saving the galaxy and all."

The AI smirked and shook her head. "Touché'."

The heroic duo had made it about ten more meters down their newest hallway when John started comparing the differences in structuring between Covenant and Lylatian capital ships; noting that apparently both races liked to use darker lighting along the hallways, which he attributed to their above average night vision. He continued with his mental comparisons when Cortana took on a worried tone, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Chief….stand still…whatever I'm detecting isn't showing up on motion tracking…but there is definitely something here…"

Over their travels into the warzone together, Cortana had this uncanny ability to keep the Chief safe from threats he couldn't see or hear; and she's been right every time. So with that in mind, the Spartan stopped dead in his tracks and immediately began to search every inch of the corridor he could see. He turned around and ran his floodlight along the walls until a loud creaking noise made him spin around and bring his MA5C to bear down the hallway. It took him half a second to realize that the creaking was coming from the ceiling; the metallic paneling bowed nine feet in front of him.

The battle hardened warrior leveled his assault rifle at the dent in the ceiling and held his stance; his body tightening and finger against the trigger as the metal paneling creaked again. John narrowed his eyes and watched intently, his superior focus kicking in, watching in what seemed slow motion as the ceiling buckle and cave in; metal hitting metal in a loud screeching. Through the green mist the Spartan could see a figure drop down from the newly made hole in the ceiling.

With slow, careful movements, John reached over his shoulder and pulled out his shotgun and stuck the MA5C in its place; the magnets in the armor holding the automatic weapon in place. He couldn't see much of the unknown assailant, but its stature and size indicated it to be a Flood Warrior; but it was unlike any of the kinds he had seen before. With a single thought, his floodlight turned on, the powerful beam cutting through the noxious green fog and doused the single Flood Warrior in a bright, white light; exposing the opposition. To say that the Flood Warrior was different was an understatement: it was an entirely new breed of warrior; a breed freshly inducted into the Gravemind's ranks.

John could tell almost immediately that what an Infection form had twisted was a Lylatian; a feline to be exact. Unlike the other versions of Flood Warriors, the human and elite monstrosities, this Warrior lacked the tell-tale five foot long tentacles that usually jutted out of the right arm socket. Instead it maintained both of its arms intact, its claws nearly two feet long and looking wicked sharp; the same story with its teeth, the entire beast reminding the Master Chief of a mutated Saber tooth tiger from Deja's (1) lessons.

Its most eye catching feature though was the feline Flood's tail…or what was once its tail, but was now a thick bundle of muscle covered with patches of fur and green, molting flesh.

John eyed it for a moment and leveled the twelve-gauge shotgun at it, using the fluorescent markers to easily line up the iron sights; his barrel holding steady at the newly discovered Flood's chest. "I've never seen a Flood like that before…I'm going to record this Chief…we might need the information if the Flood escape."

The sole known surviving Spartan didn't reply, he instead tensed when the Flood Warrior spun around and faced him, its toothy maw opening to let out a short growl before it crouched low to the ground on all fours; the creature's long tail swinging behind it from side to side. John expected it to leap forward at him, but he was surprised when it dashed towards him at an astonishing speed; bringing its claws in front of it as it quickly closed the difference between it and the Spartan.

It would have speared John were it not for his intense concentration and honed reflexes, the visual information entering his brain five times faster than a normal human's made it appear as if the Flood was moving in slow motion. He narrowed his eyes at the quickly approaching Flood and pulled the trigger.

* * *

**1723 Units (Covenant Military Calendar) The Ripper data core, Covenant designated "Vengeance Plateau", Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

In a dark room with no one else but yourself, a partner, and a soft blue light providing the only illumination… tensions can run quite high while you are surrounded by enemies. This is especially true if you have been sitting duck for nearly twenty minutes. This is even truer for Ship Master Yanni, the intensity of his burning gaze and the tone of his deep voice seemed to pierce through the helmet of his subordinate. "Zuterio, what in the name of the Prophets is taking so long!?" He growled, turning around and walking purposefully towards the Spec Ops elite who was currently sitting on the ground next to an opened panel; quickly tapping away at a holographic panel. "We've been standing here as a prime target for the Parasites for nearly twenty cycles!"

The younger Elite winced slightly at his superior's tone, but he knew that the commanding elite was right; gross miscalculations in timing during any operation immediately spelt death for the entire team almost all of the time, and this situation was no different. Every future offensive operation hinged on weather this team of Special Operations Elites could recover important data. Adding onto the fact that he had completely underestimated the defenses of the Cornerian firewalls for sensitive data irked the Cyber Warfare elite to know end.

"My apologies Ship Master, but my AI is the most advanced and adaptive in the fleet, and it was cutting through their barriers in the beginning, but as my program sifted through the files, security became tighter. If the mission fails, I will accept it as my responsibility that we were not able to secure the information-"

The grey armored elite was interrupted when the AI chirped, drawing Zuterio's eyes; soon the Spec Ops operator beamed with pride as he looked up at gold armored commander. "I take that back Ship Master…I have found it. It turns out that their firewalls were not getting stronger, but they were hiding their important information better by forcing my AI to shift through thousands of files…only one of the AI's I designed could be aware enough to try different search methods."

Yanni growled and gave the inexperienced elite a disapproving glare. "Don't boast, it is not the horn that powers the Ghost."

The grey elite just chuckled, "Yes Ship Master…Lusitia is downloading the requested files now."

Yanni huffed, "You named your AI after your mate?" He asked, but the Cyber Warfare specialist didn't reply, the younger elite quickly engrossed at the volume of the data that was being downloaded from the Cornerian battle networks. Soon everything was quiet except the humming of the Spec Ops' equipment and the occasional shifting of the Sangheli Ship Master. Then a muffled thump reverberated through the ceiling of the room.

"What was that Ship Master? It sounded like a Mauler…" The grey elite stated. The gold elite narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, his hands tightening around his weapons. "It can't be us, none of our troops carry Mauler, and our teams were the only ones authorized to be in this area…it has to be human weaponry. Contact the other teams and warn them…the Demon might be in our midst, and tell them to expect significant parasite activity; 'Where the Demon goes, the plague shall follow'…just as it is written in the Prophet's writings."

Ten cycles passed, and Zuterio had just gotten the warning sent when both elite's motion trackers started to fill with red blips; twenty five meters in all directions. "This isn't good Ship Master…" The Spec Ops operator murmured as he readied his plasma rifle, double-checking its charge before re-attaching it to his thigh plate; eyeing his motion sensor wearily. "We're quickly being surrounded!"

Immediately both Covenant soldiers' eyes darted around the sparsely illuminated room, each searching for any soft points that the Flood could get through. While Zuterio scanned the walls, Yanni immediately searched the floors and the ceiling. As the blips started closing in around their position, the Ship Master heard the skittering and fleshy sounds of Infection forms emanate from all around them; his eyes started searching frantically. "The vents!" The gold armored elite roared, "Seal the vents damnit!"

Immediately Yanni and Zuterio swept the walls and the ceilings, each searching for any vents that could be overpowered by the inevitable tide of Flood Infection forms swarming through the Lylatian cruiser's ventilation system. Whenever one of the two would find a vent, they fired four shots at the corners of the hardened metal grates; the intense heat of the plasma weaponry fusing the grate to the girder. All in all, they had eight vents sealed within seconds. There were two in the ceiling and two in each of the three walls, and as soon as the metal grates had cooled and hardened, Infection forms pounded on the vents; the collective intelligence of the Flood not expecting them to offer any resistance.

Yanni gave a brief sigh of relief, "That should buy us some time….how far along are you to downloading the package? Also, double check your charges and shields." He said, readying his plasma rifles and focusing them on the door and keeping his eyes on his motion detector; watching for any frontal movement amidst the swarm of Infection forms crawling around the vents. During the intense yet edgy lull in the action, he double checked the charges of both of his custom gold plated Plasma rifles and ran a quick diagnostic on his armor, deciding to redistribute power from his shield projectors to his shield capacitors; instead opting for a faster recharge time over shield strength.

Zuterio started his diagnostic check and eyed his charge using his HUD. It read '98' and he nodded slightly as he turned his eyes back to the screen located on his forearm; the bright blocky lettering of the Covenant combined language could almost be seen reflecting off of the eager Spec Ops elite's eyes. "I am nearing seventy-five percent Ship Master…and I am also downloading specifications on enemy weaponry…"

Yanni growled deep in his throat, "Take only what information is required for the mission. You won't live to make the rank of Major Sangheli if you do more than what is required; heroics more often than not get you killed." He shifted his stance a little and adjusted his grip on the weapons that seemed to be apart of his armor; eyes looking over their handy-work and satisfied that the parasites were still on the outside while they were on the inside. "Let me offer you some advice youngling."

Without even seeing the Cyber Warfare specialist narrow his eyes or grit his mandibles, the older Ship Master knew it was how the grey armored elite was reacting; he knew because he was once the same. "In our line of work, it is not how much you do that gets you recognized… it's the amount of successful mission you have completed. I was once like you…young, eager, strong, and intelligent…and through and through I went above and beyond what was needed of me."

The younger Sangheli didn't respond, so he continued. "I accomplished my objectives and then some, sometimes taking a fellow warrior's missions in order to further my reputation; often taking exorbitant risks to Covenant personnel and equipment just to hound the glory. That did not get me recognition that I had craved. It got me recognized as an overzealous troublemaker and a fool no matter how wildly successful my assault had been." The gold elite sighed lightly, "It took me four mating cycles to realize why I wasn't getting the promotions the peers from my graduating class were attaining… no matter my impressive kill records or successes…the Hierarchs were looking for levelheaded commanders who could lead their squads smartly."

"We have reached seventy-five percent Ship Master." The Spec Ops elite said, his voice low and mind trying to focus on everything but the elder elite's advice. Yanni nodded, "So it was at that point in my career I realized that I needed to show a sense of self-control and restraint; something I hadn't know of since I was a whelp being bent over my mother's knee. At that moment I became what was expected of me…not an overachiever, but a soldier. After that point I started to do my job, accomplishing my objectives and helping other Minor Sangheli in succeeding in their mission without doing the job for them."

The Spec Ops elite listened halfheartedly, mildly interested in what the experienced soldier had to say and focusing on the progress of both the initial 'package' and the weapons data that were being downloaded. The Ship Master continued, "I learned to lead, and others soon followed my example. I then started earning the promotions I once thought I had a right too…I gained command of this battle group while my brethren were getting their seats on the Council or brandishing their silver armor as fleet commanders…being an individual got me nowhere."

He turned briefly and faced the Spec Ops elite crouched on the floor and made eye contact. "What I'm saying is that going beyond completing the mission will get you killed or nowhere. Listen, you are an exceptional warrior, but we are a squad, and there is no 'iltak' in 'squad'…but if you threaten the success of this mission for your own gains, I'll leave your sorry hide here for the Flood to feast upon…do I make myself clear?"

The grey armored elite gave a brief nod before returning his gaze to his instruments, tapping a few buttons in order to streamline his downloads. Yanni growled, but a hissing behind him made him spin around quickly; the elite's weapons expertly trained on the door. The metal pocket door slowly slid off to the side, revealing a Flood Warrior neither elite had ever seen. Everything froze as the two Sangheli surveyed the expanse of the newest abomination assimilated into the horrific ranks of the Flood.

The new Flood Warrior was shorter in stature compared to the human and elite forms the two had seen in multiple engagements. Gone were the tentacles commonly associated with combat forms, and it maintained both of its limbs; the mutation instead opting for the acceleration of bone growth which added monstrous length to the claws and teeth of the host; the new flood's tail was a fleshy mass of muscle and bone all covered in the green flesh shared with all beings Flood.

"It seems that parasite has mutated to suit the new hosts…" Yanni remarked, placing his sights over the enemy combatant just as the combat form dashed. It moved with a surprising speed, sprinting towards him along the ground instead of taking to the air as most Flood Warriors have done in the past; the parasite quickly covering the distance between itself and the stunned Ship Master.

Yanni gritted his mandibles together when he realized that he had only managed to squeeze off four plasma bolts and changed his stance to withstand the impact the Flood warrior would surely cause. The Ship Master didn't blink when the parasite impacted against him, his shielding taking the brunt of the kinetic energy and dispersing it around the entire armor to minimize the stress on his body. The Lylatian flood wrapped its arms around his waist and opened its powerful jaws around his right arm and bit down; the elite surprised at the strength when the jaws activated the shielding and started to drain them at an astounding rate.

"Their jaws are powerful, don't let them bite you!" The Sangheli roared, bringing both of his arms down on the Flood's spine, satisfied with hearing it snap before shoving the beast to the floor and firing a single round into the back of the monstrosity's skull; letting a grin grace his mandibles as the superheated plasma melted through the flesh and bone before fizzling out and releasing a foul odor into the air.

The grey armored elite looked at the corpse, "I've never seen anything like it…" He murmured, taking in all of the notable features the newest addition to the Flood ranks had to offer. He then heard the doors open again, and he looked past the Ship Master to see nearly a dozen combat forms of all different species packed against the doorjamb; all of the mindless warriors trying to get into the door at the same time.

Yanni laughed and reached towards his belt, placing his Plasma rifle on his gold thigh plate before reaching back and plucking one of the twelve plasma grenades he brought with him. "You foolish parasite, you think you can take us!? You will have to try harder than that to take down this Ship Master!"

He held the plasma grenade in his palm and looked back at the grey elite with a wide grin, "I may have changed significantly from who I once was…but there are times the old me shine through this orderly exterior. I have tamed myself…but a good fight is what I've been craving for lately!"

With that Zuterio watched as the gold Ship Master primed the grenade and threw it towards the hodge-podge of Flood combat forms; the sticky grenade adhered to the forehead of an elite flood packed in the third row of warriors. _**Three.**_ The grey elite counted down the three seconds with a morbid fascination. _**Two.**_ He watched intently as the flood mindset didn't change at all as they tried to get to the elites inside; arms and tentacles flailing about in poorly coordinated attempts to storm the doorjamb.

_**One.**_ The bright blue sphere of plasma grew incredibly bright as collapsed on itself and then exploded in a brilliant flash of purple and white. The intense heat incinerated all of the Flood surrounding the stuck warrior, and those who weren't incinerated were dismembered in an amazing display of gore; spraying the walls with green and purple blood along with molted, rotting flesh.

The display was satisfying the Ship Master decided as he readied his plasma rifles and stepped to the side to give his grey armored comrade a full field of fire against the next wave of flood. Then when the smoke and bloody mist dissipated, he saw a result he didn't count on. He has seen the damage cause by plasma grenades on both Covenant and human ships, and after the explosion, the structures of the ships remained largely unchanged…but this was different. The intense heat and the explosion had actually widened the doorway; the heat making the metal doorjamb more pliable and the explosion forcing the metal apart.

Zuterio looked at the Ship Master in disbelief at his actions; destroying their chokepoint and only chance to hold off the Flood. The gold armored elite snorted loudly and shook his head, looking back at the grey Spec Ops Sangheli. "And now you know why I try to keep myself from getting out of hand. I sometimes make things harder than they need to be."

Both elites shook their heads and pointed their weapons at the door and waited for the next wave of Flood; the download of the package seeming to take ages. This was not good.

* * *

**1731 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", The Ripper, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

The flash of light emitted from the barrel of the 12 gauge shotgun caused John's visor to dim slightly and the sound dampened to avoid any disorientation that could have had an adverse effect on the warrior. The Spartan disregarded the suit's built in safety mechanisms and watched intently as the buckshot streamed from the tip of the large bored weapon and chew through the rotted flesh and bone of the Lylatian Flood warrior. The heavy lead and titanium shot blend easily split the combat form in two at the waist, and John ducked slightly as the upper half of the incapacitated warrior soared above his helmet; straightening up and leaping over the lower half as he started sprinting down the hallway.

Everything in his mind sped up to incredible speeds and the information entering his system made everything seem surreal and altruistic; every sound became more intensified despite the suit's dampeners and the visuals became crisp and clear. He could hear each and every mechanism inside the shotgun engaging and disengaging as he pulled back on the fore-grip of the weapon, opening the action and ejecting the spent shot shell; time seeming to slow down as the plastic casing soared away from the ejection port.

This spontaneous burst of focus, which many who had worked on the SPARTAN-II project dubbed 'Spartan Time', ended quickly as John pushed the grip forward and sliding the action shut; the topside magazine dropping another shell into the chamber. Immediately as he started running, his radar began to fill with an innumerable amount of red dots; each identifying every being within a twenty-five meter radius a threat. He took off down the hallway at top speed, hitting sixty kilometers an hour in the blink of an eye, desperately wanting to get to a more open area; he needed space to maneuver, and this narrow corridor wasn't running him any favors.

"Chief!" Cortana yelled at him, "Slow down! We're about to hit that open area! And it looks like there is a door at the end!"

"I can't do that." John huffed as oxygen filled his lungs and carbon dioxide exited, eyes watching carefully as the doors to the individual crew quarters on both sides of the hallway rattled and bent as Flood pounded at them in an attempt to get into the hallway. He heard a loud groan as a couple of the doors burst open and vents lining the hallway popped off and turned his head briefly to survey exactly what was happening; combat forms streaming from the quarters and Infection forms from the vents. His eyes widened and he started to run faster, but a creak from in front of him brought his attention back in the direction he was running.

Two Flood combat forms had tore open a large portion of the ceiling and leapt down, confronting John with weapons he had never seen before, but he knew that they would most likely cause damage if he were hit. The two armed warriors opened fire just as the Spartan started to bob and weave from side to side in an attempt to throw off their aim, but they managed to track him; the weapons spewing forth thin bolts of red energy. The super soldier managed to dodge the brunt of them, but when a few stray bolts did manage to connect, he realized at how weak the bursts of energy were; the damage against his shielding was negligible, barely even scratching at the overall strength of his armor.

As John closed in on the two Flood warriors, he noticed that their fire began to get erratic; their already poor aim becoming even more askew. Once he was in spitting distance of the pair of enemy combatants, he brought the barrel of his shotgun to bear at the nearest Flood and pulled the trigger. The buckshot tearing through the warrior's chest cavity and shredding the Infection form within; the power of the blast knocked the incapacitated combatant off its feet. As he drew closer to the other flood form, he lowered his shoulder like the football players of old, and one thousand pounds of flesh and armor moving at nearly sixty kilometers per hour slammed into spongy flesh of the combat form; the immense impact squashing the Infection form pulling the strings within.

John shrugged off the warrior and operated the action, the spent shell exiting as a fresh shell replaced it; smoke pouring out of the ejection port as the plastic casing lazily fell to the ground. "John, there are more Flood up ahead! From the crew billets!" Cortana yelled, doing her best to help the Spartan navigate through the waves of Flood.

The solider didn't reply, he simply kept his eyes ahead of him, 'Spartan Time' kicking in when a combat form, this one another Lylatian, stepped out from the doorway, tail poised to send a powerful blow the Spartan's way. John pulled the trigger and watched as the buckshot spread out just right so that it cut through the molting flesh, the lead and titanium easily forcing through green skin and tough bone to nearly dismember the Flood warrior entirely.

"John, you need to take care of what's behind us if you want me to be able to open the door in time!" Cortana reminded, already extending the wireless range her sub-routines as far as they would go in an effort to open the encrypted door. John nodded, "I know…" He murmured, pumping the action on the shotgun and loading a fresh round into the chamber from the magazine above the barrel. "I'm taking care of it right…" He reached for his belt and detached a fragmentation grenade, pulling the pin with a finger and dropping it behind him. "…Now." The explosive sphere clinking along the metal floor as it lost its fight with gravity and slowed to a halt, its three second timer expended and it exploded; the furious cloud of heat and shrapnel engulfed multiple combat forms.

"See? I told you so." John grinned, "So you work on the door while I keep us alive, deal?"

The AI held back on scolding the Spartan, promising herself she would save it for later. "Yeah, I read you…but you might want to do that trick again 'cause that didn't slow them down very much."

The Spartan turned his head back, chancing a glance, and through the smoke poured more flood, this time the infection forms outnumbered the combat forms. Not as outright threatening, but no cake walk either; a dozen infection forms could be more dangerous than a combat form. John kept running for a couple more seconds before he dropped off another grenade, and a few seconds later it exploded, achieving the same results by destroying a good-sized portion of the Flood behind him. "How much further? Also, how much longer until that door is unlocked?"

"I'll have the door unlocked in five seconds, and you'll have to turn here!" The Ship board AI yelled, painting a marker on a corridor in John's Heads Up Display; a bright yellow triangle pointing him to a turn-off thirty feet from his current position. In order to not pass the turn, John slowed down immediately; the suit absorbing the negative effects of decelerating from sixty kilometers per hour. Once he slowed enough, he changed his direction and took off towards a door that would be just large enough for him to fit through.

"Cortana! Open it now!" John's baritone said sternly, his calm voice detracting from the urgency of his words. The super soldier's arm was reaching back to grasp another grenade to see if his fragmentation grenade trick would work for a third time, but a large ceiling vent in front of him burst open, and a combat form, this one of a Sangheli warrior, hopped down in front of the Spartan.

"I've got it open!" Cortana exclaimed, and John brought his hand back up to grasp the polymer pump of his shotgun; his finger wrapping around the trigger. The loud bang from the weapon was dampened by his helmet, and the buckshot nearly dismembered the flood warrior; only its left arm and head remained attached to the body. With a quick hiss, the once locked door in front of John opened, and the Spartan charged through the green, smelly gore and entered the newest room. The sights and sounds of the new area caused John to freeze in place.

Guttural roars of Elites and Hunters, and the squeals of both glee and terror from Grunts charged through the speakers in his helmet; the sounds of hundreds of plasma rounds being discharged from the Covenant weaponry echoed around the enclosed area. The large mess hall looking area was teeming with Flood Infection and Combat forms, and a large pack of Grunts, Elites, and Hunters fought back with a fierce and disciplined tenacity that could only be accomplished by the Special Operations branch of the Covenant. "Chief! They don't know we're here! Get behind cover and stay out of sight!" Cortana barked at him.

The super soldier did as he was told and leapt over the edge of a large table and flipped it on its side before quickly dragging it to barricade himself in a corner of the room; the screeching of the metal along the floor lost in the symphony of death and valor. With John out of the line of sight, the Elites and their charges were focused on fighting the Flood already in the area, and they were doing a fine job if the Spartan could say so himself. "The Flood that was following us should be-"

When Cortana was about to finish her statement, dozens of Infection and Combat forms piled out of the hallway he had just come into, and with the Covenant troops fighting in the middle of the area behind overturned tables; the Flood shot towards the troops like a moth to a flame. John winced as the Combat forms began to throw more firepower towards the Spec Ops troops, "That was devious, pawning the Flood chasing us off on the Covenant."

"You do what you have to too survive. Your being alive is the whole reason why the human race still exists…we've gone too far to be killed in a cross-fire." The AI grinned, scratching the back of her head, plotting another route while closely monitoring the battle through John's helmet camera and sensors. Behind that metal table the pair sat for the better part of three and a half minutes, Cortana checking, double checking, and triple checking their established routes and escape routes while John made sure that the ammo count he had was accurate; being sure to make sure his grenades and weapons were still in place.

During those minutes, John had more than his fair share of scares, like when a plasma grenade came and landed a little too close to the table for his liking, but luckily there were a couple of Combat forms volunteering to shield his hiding place from the blast of the plasma based weapon; the table warping with the intense heat instead of evaporating. However, the fighting slowly died down as the immediate numbers of combat worthy Flood were cut down until there were none left, but the Covenant troops were no worse for wear; having lost both of their Hunters to a swarm of Infection forms and a large portion of their Grunts to the kamikaze Combat forms.

The Elites were a little better off, having only lost two of their brothers to the Flood, but the damage sustained was more than enough to cripple the Spec Ops detachment. "Damage report!" A Major Elite barked his breathing ragged and coarse, the red armored warrior hopping over the group's half-melted barrier to secure any left over weapons and ammunition.

The Elites sounded off their group losses, each Sangheli giving accurate reports as they too started to secure the area. John poked his head out a little bit from his warped cover and watched as the Major Elite stalked to the doorway he had just come out of not five minutes before. "Ragh! This access was sealed before, who locked this down!?"

"It was Rezkash'r, Major. Unfortunately he has fallen to the Flood." A grey armored elite responded, picking up a Combat form's Plasma pistol and checking its charge, "I saw him seal it…and all of us were too busy fighting…it couldn't have been anyone here. There are very few things that can breach our code systems, and one of them is-"

"The Demon…" The major elite hissed between his closed mandibles, readying his weapons and swinging his view all around himself; beady eyes checking for anything out of tg that it wouldn't be entirely impossible for the Demon to be onboard The Ripper. It was, however, a loud hissing sound followed by a loud roar that made all of the surviving Covenant turn around. They saw the Major Elite howling in anger as a blue ball of light adhered to the side of his thigh plate, and that howl was the only thing able to escape his maw before it exploded in a brilliant flash of blue and purple light. It was a plasma grenade.

Immediately the Elites snapped into action and looked around frantically for the source of the assault. "By the Prophets! Where did that come from!?" The next highest ranking Sangheli shouted, pointing both of his newly acquired Needlers in two separate directions.

It was with those words that Spatan-117 rose up from behind the metal table that was once his cover, and pointed both of his SMGs at the nearest elite and fire; the 5mm rounds shimmering off of the Sangheli's already weakened armor.

"It's the Demon!"

* * *

#1. Deja' was the AI created by Doctor Hasley to teach all of the children in the Spartan program everything from Military History to basic and complex mathematics. She was designed to look like a roman goddess, complete with scanty clothes and thin silk.

CoAuthor Note: Phew! 8,657 words and 17 pages! Get this, this is only part 1! I am sorry it's taken me so long to get this out, but I've moved twice since I started writing this, and I'm sure all of you know how hard it is too move.

Anyways, thanks for being so patient with me, and part 2 is on the way, but don't expect it before Thanksgiving…I have exams and projects to work on, but have no fear, I will be working on the next part. It will be hard since I lost my spiral notebook that had how I was going to finish the next part…but I think it is at school, so I will find out wont I? ;)

Thanks for sticking with me for all of this time and thanks to SyxxFox for letting me write the finale'! Don't forget to review!


	37. The Final Push Part I

_Co-Authors Note:__  
Hiya! Here before you sits the final chapter to Echo Halo: Run Alive Through the Light…I put many hours into writing this chapter out…..and I'm sorry it's been forever since you've had anything. But fear not, this chapter will be sure to please._

_I've been doing papers for advanced classes, doing projects for nearly every class, homework, senior responsibilities... as well as hunting for colleges… searching and applying for scholarships… visiting colleges…busting my ass to get good grades… and give this a shot: Try finding a job in a down economy……yeah…I kinda' had more important things to do…as you could probably imagine from my lengthy description. Oh, and lets not forget my mom is taking classes…__**online**__…and its taking up all of my time that I'd normally be writing._

_Oh. Let's not forget I've moved into another house…so everything has not been where it should be._

_*huff* Anyways, a __**LOT**__ of planning went into this chapter, and I hope you will be pleased with it. Well, thanks to you the readers, and thanks to Syxx Fox who let me wrap this story up._

_This is the first part of three of the final push…since its over 20,000 words overall, I'm breaking it down for readability's sake. :D_

_Here is The Final Push part 1!_

_~Ignorant One aka Matt

* * *

_

_**Ch. 37 The Final Push (Part I)**_

**1725 Units (Covenant Military Calendar) **_**The Ripper**_** data core, Covenant designated "Vengeance Plateau", Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

Only three minutes passed since Zuterio's A.I. started to download the mission vital package, and already everything had gone to hell in a hand basket. "Zuterio!" Yanni, the gold armored Ship Master shouted above the roar of plasma fire, "Bring your rifles to bear on the enemy! I cannot possibly kill them all with a single charge!"

The grey armored elite tore his eyes off of the small monitor attached and raised his plasma rifle towards an on-rushing human Flood combat form, quickly squeezing off multiple rounds; the intense heat searing the putrid green flesh and filling the already choked air with a disgusting smell. He growled and fired off a few more rounds when the combat form didn't drop, the Elite giving a satisfied snort when the enemy combatant toppled backwards.

"Congratulations brother!" Yanni guaffed, sidestepping a Lylatian combat form and spearing it with his plasma sword while sweeping his plasma rifle to the right and letting loose a stream of plasma into a small crowd of combat forms. "That's your one to my twenty-three."

Zuterio didn't dignify that with a response, instead, bringing his Plasma rifle to bear upon a Flood warrior and blasting it to bits until his eyes fully swept over the area; trained eyes clearly picking up nearly thirty bodies. He cursed under his breath when he watched his commanding officer seemingly enjoy himself, darting in and out of the Flood; his plasma rifle and plasma sword flaring to cut down their opposition.

Well, that was until an unannounced wave of Flood burst through the doorway, quickly making the Ship Master's game of skill into a fight for survival; placing his sword onto his thigh and drawing his other plasma rifle. The experienced Elite's reasoning was that even with the immense power of the plasma blade, at the current numbers of the opposition; Yanni knew he would be quickly overwhelmed. The gold clad Sangheli immediately placed as much distance between himself and the Flood while he discharged both weapons rapidly; aiming to thin their ranks before moving back to engage them in close quarters combat and hopefully keep their attention until the package finished downloading.

In an effort to not be worthless, Zuterio raised his plasma rifle and began to pick off the flood that tried to flank his commanding officer; using quick, controlled bursts to systematically dismantle the combat forms. This fighting continued for nearly a minute more, but depending on which of the Sangheli you looked at, it was either a minute in a warrior's paradise or a minute in a technology specialist's night mare. Either a target rich environment or a minute in which you were wondering why the very program you designed to perform quickly was working so slowly.

With the sixty seconds passed, there was a lull in the number of flood in the immediate area, and the fighting ceased; no hostiles showing up on their motion detection systems. The spec ops elite was _almost_ startled when his commanding officer let out a thunderous roar. "That was _satisfying_, brother!" He yelled, letting his fist rise into the air, "Crushing the parasites into the steel was never so enthralling!

"Would you please cease and desist, Ship Master? _I'm_ supposed to be the battle hungry youngling, and if you keep boasting like that, you'd have this warrior out of a occupational specialty." Zuterio joked, a smirk coming to his face as he watched the gold clad elite come down from S_hash'Renar_; a euphoric mental state that was common amongst the Sangheli who truly lived for battle.

Yanni let out a shaky breath and shrugged off the chill of excitement that coursed up and down his spine, hefting his plasma rifle and ejecting its spent energy cell through a compartment built into the weapon's hand guard. With a practiced motion Yanni slipped in another energy cell, locking the fuel source down before slapping the compartment shut. While he was at it, he replaced the spent fuel source in his other plasma rifle as well; double-checking his charges and grenades. "I'm 87% combat effective: two full charges, ninety-two percent charge on my plasma rifle, and three plasma grenades."

The gold armored elite looked over his shoulder and stared down at Zuterio. "Report."

"Nintey-three percent combat effective Ship Master: One half spent and two full charges, and four grenades." He replied, looking at his superior.

"What is the progress on the download of the package? We must hurry. The Phantoms will be arriving in less than thirty cycles, and the security teams will be pulling back to the designated way point for evacuation in ten. Time is of the essence, brother." Yanni grunted checking out his surroundings before getting near each Flood and kicking the weapons away from the parasites; firing two super-heated bolts of plasma into their chest cavities to destroy the residing infection forms should any still be alive.

Zuterio glanced at his wrist screen, tapping the holographic screen to bring up the status of the download. He grinned at the results and proudly reported them to his superior. "We're at ninety-seven percent, Ship Master. I estimate we will have the package fully downloaded in about one cycle."

The gold clad elite nodded and turned around kept his eye on the door. However, when Zuterio continued to speak, he didn't turn around. "Continue."

"Well Ship Master, with the firewall already cracked, I can download our enemy's databases regarding their technology. I can also have Lusitia reconstruct their corrupted data files regarding their ship schematics and…maybe even their technologies! With this information, the Covenant could blaze a trail through their forces, cutting them down with impunity-" The excited special ops elite was cut off with a simple dismissive hand gesture.

"We will worry about this information when we have more time, youngling. Or have only three minutes of combat made you forget that doing more than what you are expected too do gets you nowhere? Do I need to sit you up on my lap and tell you my story once more?" Yanni said, a small grin flashing across his mandibles.

The younger elite was about to retort, but when Yanni turned around, the Ship Master carried a determined and stiff air about himself. "We have mission parameters, brother. _WE_ are the success of the mission. If we fail, then it will be an arduous slog through their disgusting ranks in order to get to our objective and claim this long war a victory for the Covenant." He stepped closer and grabbed the grey armored elite by his chest plate and tugged him to his feet with a quick yank; brining his face closer to Zuterios.

"If you sabotage this operation, whether intentionally or not, it will not just go under your record. It will go under my record and the record of all of those serving with us in this mission." He growled and gave the elite a good shake, "The success of this mission is the priority. There is only one thing that matters right now. Its not codes, or weapons specifications…it's the _package!_ The retrieval of this data is a necessity if we are going to over come our adversaries, and if you do anything to jeopardize the success of this mission, I will kill you myself! Are we clear warrior!?"

Zuterio wanted desperately to open his mouth and spout out the significance of their adversaries and their technology, but he realized that if he wanted to advance, he needed this mark on his record to be a good one. And a moment after the fact, he realized that there could be many opportunities to re-capture this data, and in doing so, he yielded, tightening his jaw and nodding. "Understood Ship Master."

_"Download of the package is complete Zuterio. Upon safe evacuation, the mission will be considered a success. Please immediately return to the hanger for extraction."_ A slightly feminine voice spoke up, and the two separated.

Zuterio looked down at the image of his mate back on Sanghelios, and he nodded, disconnecting the wire from the terminal and transferring the data onto a glass cube; lasers etching the codes and information onto the trillions of layers the cube provided. Once the lasers disappeared, he placed the cube into a small case and handed it to the ship master. "Here, the mission is now in your hands, Sir."

Yanni nodded and attached the cube to his belt, and then the elite froze.

His motion tracker screamed of activity, dozens of red blips quickly swarming around the area and heading towards their position. "Quickly! To the waypoint! We have to reach back up if we hope to survive this wave!" Yanni roared, tapping Zuterio before peeling out of the room and sprinting down the hallway which showed the least Flood activity; but that didn't comfort the Ship Master much considering he was still looking at nearly two dozen Lylatian combat forms armed with some strange weaponry.

A quick check of his motion tracker confirmed that Zuterio was indeed following him a few paces behind. The younger elite's presence did nothing to stifle his unease about the situation, but the thought of an additional plasma rifle firing at the enemy was more than enough to bolster his fighting spirit.

Yanni gave a roar as he began to fire at the nearest combat form, the plasma melting flesh where ever it contacted the Flood; the putrid, rotting flesh bubbling and boiling off from the intense heat. Soon after his first volley, he watched as four bolts flew by his left and score hits on the Flood blocking their path. "Very good brother, we're about halfway to the waypoint!"

With that, Yanni drew his other plasma rifle and began to fire at the combat forms threatening the success of their mission using clean, controlled bursts. The grey armored elite followed suit; joining his fire with his commanding officer's to bring down their assailant's numbers before the Flood were within striking distance.

**

* * *

1732 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", **_**The Ripper**_**, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System  
**

"Damage report!" A Major Elite barked his breathing ragged and coarse, the red armored warrior hopping over the group's half-melted barrier to secure any left over weapons and ammunition.

The Elites sounded off their group losses, each Sangheli giving accurate reports as they too started to secure the area. John poked his head out a little bit from his warped cover and watched as the Major Elite stalked to the doorway the Spartan had just come out of not three minutes before. "Ragh! This access was sealed before, who locked this down!?"

"It was Rezkash'r, Major. Unfortunately he has fallen prey to the Flood." A grey armored elite responded, picking up a Combat form's Plasma pistol and checking its charge, "I saw him seal it…and all of us were too busy fighting…it couldn't have been anyone here. There are very few things that can breach our code systems, and one of them is-"

"The Demon…" The major elite hissed between his closed mandibles, readying his weapons and swinging his view all around himself; beady eyes checking for anything out of place since it wouldn't have been impossible for the Demon to be onboard _The Ripper_. It was, however, a loud hissing sound followed by a loud roar that made all of the surviving Covenant turn around. They saw the Major Elite howling in anger as a blue ball of light adhered to the side of his thigh plate, and that howl was the only thing able to escape his maw before it exploded in a brilliant flash of blue and purple light. It was a plasma grenade.

Immediately the Elites snapped into action and looked around frantically for the source of the assault. "By the Prophets! Where did that come from!?" The next highest ranking Sangheli shouted, pointing both of his newly acquired Needlers in two separate directions.

It was with those words that Spatan-117 rose up from behind the metal table that was once his cover, and pointed both of his SMGs at the nearest elite and fired; the 5mm rounds shimmering off of the Sangheli's already weakened armor.

"It's the Demon!"

In the blink of an eye, the elite unlucky enough to have spoken had nearly sixty rounds pound into his shield, and the glowing barrier collapsed as soon as the hail of bullets began; another twenty rounds chewing the upper portion of the Minor elite's head off. With his remaining rounds, John spent them on taking out their last grunt; purple and blue blood decorating the metallic pillars as the 5mm hollow point rounds tore plenty of holes into the squealing Grunt.

Once the grey armored grunt collapsed onto the floor, the Spartan leapt behind the nearest cover he could find, which at the current moment was a heap flood carcasses. Soon the area around him exploded with plasma fire as the shock wore off of the elites, and he quickly began changing out the spent magazines for two fresh ones; feeling a little more secure when his HUD read that each weapon was fully loaded. With his weapons fully loaded, all he needed was a short lull in their fire so he could move from his cover, which as the moment was currently starting to disintegrate; the smells of cooked, rotting flesh and burnt ozone starting to creep through his filter and choke him.

John thought that it would be best to wait it out, however, the plasma grenade that arced over his cover and landed between his legs thought otherwise. "Chief! Move!" John was more than happy to comply, leaping out of the dilapidated cover in order to avoid being evaporated from the waist down. With just under six feet of space between himself and the grenade, when it went off, the heat from the grenade drained nearly half of his shields.

John could feel the skin blister underneath his armor, but the painkillers that were quickly administered by his suit quelled any major discomfort, so he was then able to focus on the more important things like finding more cover. The Spartan only had a brief chance to glance at his surroundings until nearly twenty bolts of plasma either grazed or impacted against his shield, the warning bell sounding shrilly until it was cut off when the protection system collapsed entirely.

The super soldier immediately returned fire, pointing both of his SMG's at the nearest threat, a purple elite, and pulling the triggers; dozens of 5mm hollow point rounds spewing from each weapon. With both clips half-empty, John watched as his adversary's shield sparkled before collapsing, and he continued to fire; the tiny bullets eating away at the Sangheli's chest cavity and sternum before the Covenant warrior collapsed in a puddle of his own gore. "John!" Cortana squealed, "Get behind cover or else we're _both_ done for!"

Like a good soldier taking orders from a superior officer, John snapped into action, strafing to the left as he emptied the rest of his remaining ammunition into the nearest of the three remaining elites; the grey armored Sangheli's shields sparking but not collapsing. The Spartan attached both SMG's to his thigh plates as soon as he managed to make it behind one of the mess hall's many metal pillars.

He didn't bother to spend his time reloading them, instead he opted to grab his shotgun, grabbing the weapon that was attached to his back and unclasping it; the polymer and hardened steel pump action instrument of death falling into his waiting palm. There was, however, a small problem. The bright blue text on his heads up display that should have read '17' shells in reserve instead read '0', and the ammunition remaining in his weapon read a very unnerving '2'.

"Cortana….? What happened to my shells?" He asked, eyeing his motion detector as the three remaining elites started to flank carefully; two moving around the sides while the third stalked up the center. "It's about ten feet to our left…" John looked over and he did indeed see the jade polymer box sitting out in the middle of the floor; the hatch was completely melted shut.

"How did that happen?"

Cortana frowned, "Well you weren't paying enough attention to our surroundings, and once our shields went down, it was shot off."

"Great." The super soldier muttered, making sure that the safety on his shot gun was off.

"You can still switch to the MA5C, Chief- here they come!" Cortana cried, the AI highlighting the red blip on his motion detector that was coming straight at his position; obviously the center elite grew impatient with the careful technique. John vowed to make him regret that mistake.

As soon as the blip got close enough to his pillar, John leaned out of his cover and leveled the barrel at the elite. The Sangheli had covered so much ground in such a short amount of time that the barrel was almost touching the special operation's combatant's chest armor, and it was too late for the covenant to dodge. The Spartan smirked and pulled the trigger, the weapon discharging its double-ought buckshot into the shields of the foolhardy warrior; the lead-titanium shot mix shearing through the barrier and ripping into the thick flesh. The elite dropped to the floor with a _'thud'_ while the human soldier ducked back into his cover; eyeing over his motion detector and the blaring blue '1' at the upper left corner of his HUD. "One shell left Chief."

"Don't remind me." He muttered, checking his grenade supplies. _'Hm. Two frags and two plasma grenades left.'_ He poked his head out of his cover on his right, quickly glancing at the minor elite moving from one over-turned bench to another; always staying behind cover and never exposing himself for too long. '_Apparently this one likes living._' With a quick check to his left side revealed the last remaining major elite doing the same thing, keeping both of his Needlers trained on his position. _'So does this one.'_

"Of course they do." Cortana quipped, "They are dealing with the _Demon_ after all. And I'd suggest that you switch to your assault rifle…you might find it easier to reload than to change weapons." Chief shivered a little bit; if there was one thing that he wasn't quite sure he could get used to, it was the fact that Cortana almost always knew what he was thinking. John shrugged it off.

This situation wasn't something he liked. He had only one round left for a weapon that would be a guaranteed one-shot kill if he could get the target close enough, which wouldn't be much a problem with the minor elite, which was closest to him, on his right. However, the major elite on his left posed a much greater threat, and he knew from past experience that full clip of the full metal jacketed 7.62x39 mm UNSC rounds would be just enough to take down his shield, but not kill or even wound the opposition. It was in times like these when you really needed to multi-task. "Grenades." He muttered to himself, looking down at the four grenades dangling from his waist.

"Great idea Chief. I'd suggest that you-" The red blips were almost parallel with his position, and John could hear the elites spring into action simultaneously; two thundering roars coming at him from both sides.

The super soldier unclipped both of his fragmentation grenades and threw them out at his left, hearing the two metal spheres clank against the grated floor before he leapt out of his right side; opting to take the minor elite head on while he hoped that the explosives would take care of the red armored elite. With the blink of an eye, six needles ricocheted off of his body; his shields sparking with a bright green light as the barrier protected him from harm, taking his shields down nearly twenty-five percent. The Master Chief charged at the purple elite, covering three meters quickly, dropping his shoulder to plow into the Sangheli warrior. The grenades exploded simultaneously, and John didn't hear anything from the red warrior as he threw the purple elite down to the ground, placing the barrel against the warrior's chest point blank and pulling the trigger; the double–ought buck tearing through the armor as if it were not even there.

"Chief! Behind us!" Cortana yelled.

John spun around and brought his shotgun the bear like a baseball bat. The red armored elite, much to the Chief's chagrin, was still alive, although barely; his powerful arm raised above his head. Adrenaline coursed through his system, and when 'Spartan time' kicked in, John took a split second to assess his opponent and soon realized why he wasn't dead sooner: the elite's plasma rifle was damaged beyond use, he didn't have any grenades.

However, the most eye catching of the reasons was the fact that the Sangheli had a machete sized chunk of shrapnel lodged in his side just below his armor. John side stepped the elite's strike and brought his shotgun to bear, slamming it into the Sangheli's mandibles; the super soldier heard the teeth clack together and then break as nearly one thousand pounds of human and armor swung the weapon like a batter in the big leagues. The field-grade covenant stumbled to the side before collapsing onto all fours; one of its hands clutching the shrapnel that John was sure the Covenant warrior was feeling. The super soldier held the shotgun above his head and brought it down on the elite's lower back just under the armor. The Major Sangheli's spine cracked with the blow, as well as John's shotgun.

The Chief looked at his weapon; which was now missing its polymer stock and the trigger assembly. "Well….nice going Chief. You could have just shot him in the back of the head and saved the shotgun."

John frowned. "Well I wasn't going to leave anything to chance-"

_BOOM!_

The Spartan jumped to the nearest pillar he could find as a tremendous explosion rocked the entire ship, light fixture falling from the ceiling as the support pillars buckled and groaned as added stress forced them to bend out of proportion. He was about to ask what had happened, but the AI that resided within his helmet beat him to the punch. "It was a massive explosion, Chief."

The human frowned. "I could have guessed that Cortana. My question is _what_ caused it, and _how_ could this affect the structural integrity of the ship and of the mission."

"I'll get to work on it, you just reload your weapons and mosey on towards the engineering bay…but first stop by the Armory…I have a feeling we might need some big guns."

John nodded and side stepped a falling girder before reaching the doorway on the right hand side of the rectangular room, stepping underneath the protective cowling while Cortana worked to unlatch it. Once the door opened, John reloaded both of his SMG's with two fresh clips before holstering them and drawing his MA5C; favoring ease of use and accuracy over shear fire rate. He would use those once the enemy got too close for comfort and would engage them with plasma grenades and 7.62 mm from afar. "Makes you wonder why they don't allow us hollow-point rounds with these assault rifles doesn't it? They're much more effective than Full Metal Jacketed rounds."

John flicked on his headlamp and eyed the motion tracker as he swept up through the desolate hallway, passing a number of small devices that let of a dull purple glow. "Must be Covenant motion trackers," Cortana said dedicating a sub-routine to find out its purpose before finding it, "I believe they must put these around all possible avenues of attack to give themselves some forewarning about where the enemy will strike."

The super soldier hummed in acknowledgement, stepping over a plasma torched Flood Combat Form's body, following the figure of a handgun painted in yellow and surrounded by black on the walls of the eerie, green fogged corridors. The Master Chief froze when he saw two red blips appear on his motion tracker coming from behind him, and moving at a very quick rate. "Don't worry Chief, they're four floors above us."

John relaxed a little bit and continued onwards, trying to ignore the way the ship groaned every once in a while, moving his pace to a trot as he kept the large caliber weapon pressed against his shoulder. He took a right at the painting and stopped at the door which was labeled in boxy letters; but the yellow and black painting of a fire arm on it labeled it as the Armory. "Cortana…"

"I know, Chief. I'm on it." The door was soon opened within seconds and John stepped through; the door promptly shutting behind him once he passed the sensors. Cortana whistled.

"Wow. This has got to be one of the most extensive onboard armories I've seen on a ship this size before." With a quick glance, John couldn't agree more.

The room was at least a thousand square feet in size, and there were racks upon racks of UNSC weapons as well as a couple of racks of weapons that he saw the lylatian flood wielding before. With the door closed securely behind him, John walked over towards the nearest rack and found that it was chock full of MA5B assault rifles; the larger, sixty round clipped older brothers to his MA5C. While not as accurate, in these close quarters, it was much more valuable to have more lead. Or in this case, jacketed lead, heading down range since with all of the flood, you were bound to hit something. John set his MA5C and both SMG's on the floor along with their ammunition. He had one hundred and sixty rounds of 7.62 in five clips while he had one hundred and twenty left for his SMG's.

He left them on the ground and stalked through the rows of weapons, picking up two M6D pistols, slapping fresh clips into each one before he holstered them. He picked up each clip of ammunition and thoroughly inspected each magazine of the large 12.7 millimeter rounds, making sure that they were all white tipped; meaning small amounts of explosives were packed into the tips of each bullet adding an additional punch to the already devastating rounds.

He ended up with ninety-six rounds between the two weapons, securing them to his armor; this time heading over towards the rifle section again, bypassing the BR55 rifles which were proven to be ineffective against the flood and opted to take up the older MA5B assault rifle. He picked up each magazine and was surprised when he saw that they had green tips on the tip.

John hadn't seen this ammunition since the MA5B was first introduced. Green tip meant a tungsten penetrator in the core of the round, slipping through even the most hardened of armor; all armors except his. This, he was sure, could bring down any elite's shield quickly due to the fact that their armor not only had to stop the full metal jacketed, lead round itself but the tungsten penetrator as well. He loaded himself with six hundred rounds, one magazine in the chamber and nine magnetically attached to his armor.

Satisfied with his weapons load, he walked over to one of the other racks and opened up a large crate, pulling out a bandoleer of fragmentation grenades and slipping it around his waist before securing it, bringing his count to twelve fragmentation and two plasma; fourteen in total. He turned around and paused for a moment. On the very left wall of the armory were rocket launchers and plenty of ammunition, but the one weapon that caught his attention was the six barreled man-portable M-334 mini-gun. "Wow… I haven't seen any of these since the ODST Combat Special Tactics Corp was disbanded." Cortana mused.

John walked over and ran his gloved hands over the gleaming barrels of the weapon. "The M334 Man Portable Mini-Gun, or MPMG: A six barreled, highly accurate electric motor driven weapons system. It has a six thousand rounds per minute maximum fire rate while mounted, three thousand rounds per minute maximum controllable fire rate while being carried with infantry, but the preferred fire rate for ammunition consumption, controllability and maximum accuracy was between six hundred and nine hundred rounds per minute."

Cortana continued with her knowledgeable history lesson as the Spartan-II leaned down to inspect the weapon more closely. "The entire body is made out of hardened carbon fiber composites, and the barrels are made out of naval grade level III titanium; giving it a strong, durable body while keeping it under one hundred pounds including the motor."

With his enhanced strength, John was able to lift the mini-gun one handed, and thanks to its short, twenty-eight inch barrels, he was able to aim it without much effort. He squeezed the trigger, and the barrels spun at an amazing rate, the hum from the barrels quickly filled the Armory and he let off of the trigger; the weapon still spinning for a second or two before stopping. The AI continued, "The motor is driven by a high yield hydrogen fuel cell developed by Armacham Military Applications, and has a charge life of forty thousand rounds."

He pressed another button, and three small legs at the bottom of the weapon fell downwards and locked into place. "This is the M334B model, characterized by the small, twenty-four inch tripod that is built into the bottom; which is also made out of collapsible, naval grade level III titanium."

The Spartan set the mini-gun back on its stand and looked it over one more time. "It was developed in 2515 by Major General Heraldo Riviera for the UNSC Army's Rangers, Green Berets, and for the UNSC Marine Corp's ODST Special Tactics Corp. Throughout its ten years of service, ten thousand of these weapons were produced, of that, all of them have seen combat."

John started to tune out Cortana as her explanation and history of the weapon turned into a tirade, and he focused checking its systems.

"These weapons were praised by their operators for their versatility, reliability, and accuracy. This accuracy was attained by giving each of its six barrels a one:two rifling twist, meaning that for every one inch, the rifling in the barrel made two complete twists. With fifty-six twists throughout each barrel, it puts significant spin on each bullet and gave the round extreme accuracy and stability; making it just as accurate as the longer barreled versions of similar weapon systems."

John checked the feed of the weapon, noting the bullet type, "Hrm. This weapon fires a 6.8 mm round adopted by the US Military at the beginning of the 21st century."

"I'm surprised to see that this thing is configured to fire the smaller, lighter 6.8 mm round versus the 7.62x29 UNSC standard cartridges." The AI said, but John offered his two cents, "Cortana."

"Yes, Chief?"

"I'm very well versed on this weapons system. You can desist with your explanation." The Spartan's monotonous baritone flowed through the helmet speakers.

Cortana sighed, "Allright, Mr. Know-it-all… but how the Cornerians got their hands on this particular weapons system is beyond me. The point is that we actually have one of these, and that we hopefully have the correct ammunition to use it…but first let's get armed and get to work. The galaxy isn't going to save itself."

"Affirmative." John nodded and searched the Armory, and wasn't too surprised when he found a large crate near the mini-gun itself, and he popped it open. Once open, he found what looked to be a large backpack and a little over a dozen of two hundred round ammo cans. The Spartan lifted the back pack, and thanks to Cortana's guidance and access to schematics, opened it up and placed it upside down.

Inside the backpack was a large coil of metal link, "This model can hold two thousand rounds Chief…but the mini-gun has a fire rate of three thousand rounds a minute, so I'm going to tone it down to something a little more manageable…how does six hundred rounds per minute sound?"

The Spartan opened up the ammo cans and started to feed the 6.8 mm rounds into the metal link, pushing them in two hundred rounds at a time, taking great care to link the ammo belts in order to prevent stoppages. After five minutes and ten empty ammunition cans later, John shut the back pack and fed the belt into the mini-gun; having Cortana spin the barrels in order to get a round into the chamber and the weapon ready to fire.

With the lead spitter set up, the super soldier moved his MA5B onto the small of his back and his armor held onto it, allowing the soldier to lift the ammunition pack and sling it onto his back; tightening the quick release straps while Cortana integrated its ammunition counter into his display. "Alright, Chief. We've got guns and grenades…let's say we finish the job here."

John nodded and stood up, taking one last look at the SPNKr rocket launchers before heading towards the door, wishing that there could have been some way he could have taken at least two of the High Explosive Anti-Tank rockets with him. "Uh….Chief?"

"Yes, Cortana, what is it?" He said.

"We've got a lot of incoming." The AI blurted out.

John checked his motion sensor, but nothing was around them for twenty five meters. "Are you sure?" He said, spinning the barrels of the mini-gun to make sure they worked; a little apprehensive about using a weapon that was almost forty years old, despite of how good of a shape it was in. He looked back at the rocket launchers, and then to the door. "How do you know?"

"I've tapped into the Covenant's motion sensor suite…you know that there is almost nothing that can be hidden from me." She giggled a little bit, despite the tense situation. "I'd suggest that you grab a couple of those Jack Hammers and set up shop in the hallway. We probably have about thirty seconds to set up before the Flood starts to mosey down our hallway."

John didn't need any further encouragement. _**'30 seconds'**_ He rushed to the corner of the room and grabbed a push cart and started loading it with weapons, grenades, and ammunition.

'_**25'**_ Then he grabbed two Jack Hammer rocket launchers and two more rockets.

'_**20'**_ The Spartan stopped past the open door Cortana was so helpful to open, and pushed the cart through and set it up in the middle of the hallway.

'_**15'**_ The Master Chief then poured out the contents of his gathering onto the floor, quickly organizing his weapons and ammunition into which order he would fire them: The SPNKr rockets first, then the two MA5C's he had acquired along with eight clips of ammunition, then another MA5B with six clips of ammunition, and then finally two SMG's with hollow point rounds and four extra magazines.

'_**10'**_ If anything made it past his initial barrage, then he would have to use his mini-gun.

'_**5'**_ "Cortana…raise the fire rate on the mini-gun to one thousand rounds a minute."

The AI responded, and John flipped the cart on its side, intent to use it as cover just in case the Flood were to have weaponry; at least he would have some sort of protection. "This build up is exactly like I saw before…I think it's a new tactic John. I saw a similar build up a minute before the explosion… they should now be visible on your motion detectors…Oh…wow…"

The entire first quadrant of his motion tracker was a solid red, meaning that there were so many hostiles that the computing software couldn't discriminate between individual targets. "This won't turn out too well… Cortana? How much 6.8 mm ammunition is left back in that crate? I have a feeling that I might have to use the mini-gun a little sooner than I would have expected."

"Well…from what I saw, we have about three more ammunition cans…so six hundred rounds." She said this with the utmost calm, despite the fact that they could both now hear the Flood thanks to the Mark VII's enhanced audio sensors. "They should be rounding the corner any second…"

John readied the first of the two Jack Hammer rocket launchers and placed it on his shoulder, liking the way that the backpack gave him a stable platform to aim off of as he hunkered down and placed the barrels of the weapon on the cart for added stability. The Spartan could hear the magnifier on the launcher system activate when he placed the cheek plate of his helmet on the activation pad, zeroing in the scope before training his eyes on the dimly lit, green fog filled corridor. "Hold your fire until my mark. One 'mark' per rocket. Understood?"

"Affirmative." The Master Chief responded, waiting to hear the AI's voice.

Soon the Flood appeared from around the corner of the hallway, and despite the low light conditions and the tumultuous fog, he could tell that there were a lot. A literal _wall_ of Flood. John was unable to even give himself a rough estimate of the number of infection, carrier, and combat forms that choked the hallway…and there was another type of Flood that he didn't quite know too well, but Cortana immediately recognized.

"Tank forms! John! Shoot the Tank forms! Mark!" He reacted immediately, centering the rocket launcher's crosshairs over the second Tank in the crowd of Flood; the blast radius was large enough that it was sure to destroy the first Tank that was spearheading the charge. The Spartan-II pulled the trigger.

_Fwoosh!_ One rocket sailed out of the first barrel. The Master Chief watched the one hundred and twenty millimeter High Explosive Anti-Tank rocket stream off towards its target; the small missile cutting through the thick fog that permeated the air. A second and a half later, it impacted its target in a golden plume of fire and fury; the roiling fireball consuming everything around it for eight feet.

"Mark!" _Shoom!_ John fired the second one off at Cortana's command, despite the fact that the smoke had yet to clear; the rocket streaking into the crowd of Flood. It too impacted with an unseen target, and John could feel the shock wave hit against his armor. "Next weapon, Spartan."

John nodded and chucked the empty rocket launcher as far as he could in front of him down the hallway as a symbolic gesture. The Flood weren't that coordinated, so if by any luck, one might just trip on it on their way down the corridor to visit him. He picked up the next launcher tube and aimed it down the hallway.

"Mark!" John fired another rocket without proper target acquisition, but it didn't matter to him because the previous rockets barely put a dent in the wall of red that was registering on his motion sensor. Another explosion and another shock wave let the super soldier know that his rocket had found a target.

"Mark!" Cortana barked once more, and once more John pulled the trigger as the ammunition canister rotated to place a fresh rocket into the chamber; this one firing off into the crowd that was obscured by the smoke and fire caused by the previous three rockets. "Reload this missile tube, Soldier. We have a target rich environment, and you are free to fire at will."

"Rodger that." The Master Chief acknowledged, replacing the rocket canister and chucking the spent canister down the hallway for the same reason he had thrown the first rocket launcher. He fired one rocket, waited a second before firing the second one; tossing the rocket launcher down the hallway. He then picked up the first MA5C and aimed down the hallway, waiting until he could get visual confirmation on the enemy.

John didn't wait because he wanted to see his targets. The super soldier already knew that even if he fired blindly down the corridor he would hit something. Instead, he waited because he wanted to see _where_ and _what_ he should be concentrating his firepower on. He didn't have to wait a split second until combat, infection, and carrier forms burst through the smoke; leaping over what was left of their fallen comrades to mindlessly rush their singular opposition. With thirteen meters between him and them, John began to prioritize.

The infection forms leading the charge were the first to be put down thanks to a well placed fragmentation grenade thrown by the Spartan, taking out the first of many combat forms with it. The Super Soldier aimed at the nearest combat form and squeezed the trigger, sending short, controlled streams of fire, the large 7.62 mm rounds tearing through not only the targeted Combat form, but they chewed into the Flood forms behind them; the heavy bullets making short work of the rotting green flesh.

In the blink of an eye the Spartan burned through the thirty-two round clip, and he quickly snatched up a magazine from the pile he had beside him, reloading the weapon before he began to fire into the crowd. Five combat forms and two carrier forms succumbed to this fresh magazine before it too was depleted, and another was taken from the pile; leaving the human with three clips and a spare MA5C.

Eight seconds pass, and the Flood has failed to make it past the eight meter point thanks to the super soldier's superb marksmanship and superior firepower, but the parasites gain valuable ground when the Spartan is forced to toss his assault rifle over his cover to snatch up his spare, spending its clip before doing the same with his second rifle.

John picked up the MA5B assault rifle and started to put as much lead down range as he could. The sixty round clip of 7.62 mm made it much more viable at sustained fire, and the Spartan carefully swept his fire back and forth; careful to not leave any advancing Flood standing. Accuracy wasn't an issue in this situation as any bullet fired in that general direction found its way into molted flesh and bone.

The fighting was fast and frantic for the Chief, making the most of his 'Spartan Time' in order to repeat the pattern of "fire, spend clip, reload, and fire" efficiently as possible; making sure that no movement was wasted in either reloading or firing.

Soon John was kneeling in brass and spent magazines, a new casing falling into the pile with each quick-silver cycling of the action, a new bullet being loaded into the camber each time to be fired until every round in the magazine was exhausted. The spent clip was dropped amidst the brass with the flick of a switch and was hastily replaced with a fresh one.

It continued like this for nearly fifteen more seconds, which to the Spartan and the AI felt like a life time, until the MA5B ammunition ran out. John tossed a grenade as he picked up the two SMG's, which would be his final line of defense until their ammunition was exhausted, and that would force the last of Spartan to rely on his grenades and on the M334.

With both weapons in hand, John began to fire into the crowd, which was now just five meters away from him; the Spartan burning through the weapons' proffered one hundred and twenty 5 mm hollow point rounds.

Flood choked the corridor, both the functional and the incapacitated.

Their fallen comrades forced the functional Flood to crawl over their dead and wounded; which actually helped slow their advance, giving John a little more room for error…not that the Spatran left himself any. Three seconds and the two clips were spent, the warrior tossing two fragmentation grenades into the crowd to give himself time to reload before he began to fire his freshly reloaded weapons.

Time, for John, had already slowed to a crawl, and every movement, and every action that happened around him was exaggerated; the Spartan-II could hear each and every bullet leave the chamber as a new one was cycled in and could every flash as the chemicals propelled the hollow point rounds to their targets. The Flood were dropping at an incredible rate thanks to continual efforts of the super soldier, but despite the bodies slowing their advance, there really seemed to be no end to the Flood. _Clink, clink_. His SMGs were empty. He tossed two more grenades and quickly reloaded, bringing them back to bear upon the enemy; dozens of bullets sinking into rotting flesh in the blink of an eye.

"_Don't lose hope."_ He heard a voice speak into his mind, the clear, British sounding accent echoing throughout his senses. _Krystal?_ He thought for a moment before being brought back to his senses by Cortana.

"Chief! Reload!" Two more fragmentation grenades found their way into the crowd and John reloaded, sweeping his fire up and down the corridor to clean up whatever the grenades had missed. One hundred and twenty rounds put down nine combat forms, two carrier forms and a multitude of infection forms; the explosive Carrier forms doing more harm than good since the infection forms they released were quickly trampled over by the advancing Combat forms.

John growled and tossed the empty SMGs aside and tossed two more grenades before bending down to pick up the M334 and activating its built in tripod, setting it on top of the overturned cart; the barrels already spinning. _**'2000'**_

_Vaughhhhhhmmmmmvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv!!!!!!_ Filled the corridor, and soon the clatter of empty 6.8 mm casings joined in the chorus; the smaller bullets tearing into the crowd of Flood and penetrating into other targets.

'_**1934'**_

Combat Forms disintegrated into pieces of mush underneath the withering fire from the Spartan and the mini-gun, bullets ricocheted off of walls after shearing through many in this target rich environment.

'_**1845'**_

The Flood kept coming and coming, more charging down the hallway only to be slowed by their fallen brethren and then cut into ribbons by the amazing fire power that the Spartan had at his fingertips; the super soldier swiveling the six barreled machine of death to pick off any infection forms foolish enough to climb on the walls in order to get to him.

'_**1789'**_

Soon the number of combat forms began to wane as the bodies piled up, and the infection forms experienced an explosive growth; the smallest of the parasite soon covering every available inch along the corridor.

'_**1703'**_

In an effort to conserve his valuable ammunition, John grabbed at the MA5B assault rifle that was secured to his lower back and began to open up on the infection forms, tossing a grenades to help thin their ranks; reloading as necessary. Soon he had expended three clips of ammo on his own person and realized that there were just too many infection forms to bother with reloading, so he got back on the M334 and began to fire at any and every infection form that he could see. "Is there an end to all of this!?" John growled out in frustration, tossing another fragmentation grenade in order to conserve a little more of the rare 6.8 mm ammunition.

They just kept coming.

Soon their numbers began to increase. For every Flood form killed, three rose up to take its place; mindlessly stepping over their fallen comrades' bodies.

'_**1509'**_

"_Don't lose hope. It's always darkest just before dawn."_

_Krystal…?_ John thought again, his mind a little confused at the vixen's words, but even more confused as to why he could hear her voice. A snap against his leg and a flicker on his shield bar told him that an infection form just burst against his leg. They were getting too close despite his increase in firepower. The Spartan reached down at his hip and grabbed his final fragmentation grenade and tossed it into the crowd; its explosion tearing nearly a dozen Flood into ribbons as well as thinning out the ranks of the infection forms.

'_**1489'**_

"Chief! The Flood! I see an end to them on the motion tracker!" John looked down at the corner of his HUD, and indeed the ranks had been thinned out to the point at which his motion tracker could pick out individual targets. John let off of the mini-gun once it reached _**'1400'**_ and switched back to his MA5B, using it to mop up whatever got close enough. Within seconds, all combat capable Flood were incapacitated with the liberal application of 7.62 mm full metal jacketed rounds, and finally, there was nothing moving in the corridor besides one thing.

John-117.

The Spartan collapsed onto his hands and knees in the extremely large pile of brass casings as the adrenaline quickly left his system; leaving the warrior feeling fatigued and worn out. Cortana whistled and then chuckled nervously. "Wow….heh…all that…and it all took place in two minutes and forty- seven seconds…..this one is definitely going to be put into the recreational hall for frequent viewing….because Chief…you definitely deserve to have some bragging rights."

John didn't really notice it, but he was panting, heavily. It took the Spartan about three minutes to recover from the rush before he gathered himself and stood up, hefting the M334 off of the cart and walking back into the armory; restocking his ammunition and grabbing another bandoleer belt of grenades. He popped open the ammunition cans of the remaining 6.8 mm rounds and restocked the mini-gun until it read _**'2000'**_ rounds; signifying that it was full.

Once he stepped out of the armory, he started down the hallway, collecting his MA5B from the cart, and after slapping a fresh clip into it and pulling the charging handle he placed it at the small of his back, just underneath the ammunition back pack.

He surveyed the damage.

Nearly one hundred combat forms of all races littered the long corridor along with bits and pieces of Flood that he couldn't identify. The bodies were knee deep as he started to trudge through the mass of rotting flesh that nearly the floor; painting the walls a spectacular array of green, purple, red, and violet blood. He wanted to go around, but this was the only way to Engineering on this floor, so he had to deal. Not to mention that the smell was terrible; forcing John to use his EVA oxygen supply so that he wouldn't vomit while slogging his way through the guts of countless Flood forms.

"I need a vacation."

"You and me both." The AI chirped, her voice sounding a little more optimistic.


	38. The Final Push Part II

_Co-Authors Note__: Allright everone, here is part two of The Final Push! :D The third part should be coming out within the next week or so. Busy with college stuff!! Its amazing…you don't really know how much harder it is to get everything set to *go* to college…getting accepted is the easy part. XD_

~Matt aka Ignorant One

* * *

_**Ch. 38 The Final Push (Part II)**_

**1730 Units (Covenant Military Calendar) **_**The Ripper**_** data core, Covenant designated "Vengeance Plateau", Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

After forcing their way through the long, Flood filled hallway, Zuterio and Yanni finally managed to catch a break once they sealed off the main bulkhead at the end of the corridor; the Flood on the other side were being forced to look for an alternate route, and the only other way that the parasites could get to them was through the vents. Which were quickly sealed by the pair of Sangheli.

After catching their breath, Yanni ordered a quick check of their ammunition stores, which provided both Elites grave news. The only weapons they had were their plasma rifles, three grenades between the two of them, and Yanni's Plasma sword; which was currently at less than half a charge. "This situation does not bode well for us Ship Master." Zuterio said, stating the obvious. "What do you suggest we do?"

Yanni growled, "I'm working on that." He muttered, placing a large finger to the side of his gold plated helmet; activating his ear piece. "_Wraith_ Team. What is your status?"

For a few brief seconds, the Ship Master felt unease knowing that the first team was filled with his most experienced fighters, and if they fell, only two things could have happened: The Demon, or that the Flood decided to change tactics. _Or,_ he thought, mulling the idea around in his head, _The materials in this ship are interfering with out communications…but that's highly unlikely._ He shook his head slightly at the thought and tried again. "_Wraith_ Team. Indicate you status. Are you transmitting? Respond immediately, that is a direct order."

Yanni's hand clench into a fist and his jaw tightened as he looked at the Spec Ops elite that looked at the Ship Master with a slightly dismayed expression. "Do you think they're-?"

The younger Elite was cut off when a crackle filled their ears._ "-Yes Ship Master, this is Wraith Team… reporting only minor casualties. We're good on munitions and morale, but we have lost Zing-Zap and Reskasharr' to the Flood. Also, Tobin has been injured, and his bond brother, Tobius is acting rather unruly; failing to take direct orders and engaging targets that hold no value. We are returning to the hanger for extraction. Do you require some assistance Ship Master? Or is whatever situation you are in completely under control?"_ The last line had a joking air to it.

The Ship Master laughed. "Ah! Yuu'vsha! When will you learn that there is never a situation I can't handle?"

"_Yes…I thought as much. Then we will meet in the hanger?"_

"But of course, Brother. And please, take out as many as you can along the way…it will make my already simple job a walk in the park."

There was only laughter on the other end until the connection was cut. Yanni keyed his mic again. "_Banshee_ Team . What is your status?"

Zuterio decided to run a systems check upon his Plasma Rifle while the Ship Master started his rounds. _"This is Banshee Team. We have no casualties to report, and we haven't had a reason to fire a single round Ship Master. The hanger is secure and we have a Phantom on stand-by to receive you and the 'package'."_

Yanni smiled. "Excellent. If all goes well, we should reach _Ghost _Team's waypoint within four cycles in which we will link up with _Wraith_ Team before heading to the extraction point."

"_You information has been received and we will await your arrival. Also sir, Ghost team has reported an unusually coordinated assault by the Flood, and they have taken heavy casualties. I do not have the full report, so it would be best that you check in on them sir. Over and out."_

That feeling of a job well done for Yanni disappeared after hearing this news, and instead a lump of ice froze his gut. "_Ghost_ Team. Report."

It took a few moments of static before someone replied. _"-this is Ghost Team…Ship Master. We have taken heavy-*static* casualties…*static*"_

Despite the static, Yanni understood them just perfectly. "I need a damage assessment, Major. And I need to know how such a defensible position was almost overrun by the parasites."

"_*static*----Damage report!" _

Yanni could hear the Major Elite recounting each report as the Special Operations squad sounded off their group losses, each Sangheli giving accurate report._ "Ragh! This access was sealed before, who locked this down!?"_

"_-It was Rezkash'r, *static*, unfortunately he has fallen prey to the Flood. I saw him seal it…*static* all of us were too busy fighting…it couldn't have been anyone here. There are very few things that can breach our *static* systems, and one of them is-"_

"_The Demon…"_ That got Yanni's and Zuterio's attention.

"The Demon?" Zuterio asked, a little too much excitement laced the younger Sangheli's voice for the Ship Master's liking, and he swept his arm in a dismissive gesture.

"Listen up Major. I want you to secure the area first and then back to the hanger with Banshee Team and Wraith Team; we can make it in time."

The Ship Master hissed between his closed mandibles, readying his weapons and swinging his view all around himself; beady eyes checking for anything out of place since it wouldn't have been impossible for the Demon to be onboard _The Ripper_. "Zuterio, pull up some schematics. We need to get to the lift, and we won't get there without making a detour."

"_By the Prophets! Where did that come from!?" _Yanni heard screech through his earpiece before more started to come through, the sounds of plasma fire sneaking through despite the filters in his helmet.

"_It's the Demon!*Static*" _The constant static in his helmet made him cut the communications line.

"Curses…" He growled, punching the metal wall.

"By the Prophets…" Zuterio spoke, his voice filled with awe, "Is the Demon really here?"

Yanni wanted to be angry with his companion, but the way the Demon was portrayed to the younger elites who were going into training made him the one thing that all of the younglings strived to defeat. To them, killing the Demon would secure them a place in all of history, their names revered and their families' destined to be spoken of for generations to come. That was if they could defeat the Demon.

"Yes. And we will not complete the mission if he makes it to the hanger before we do. Is that schematic up?"

Zuterio held the glowing map of the ship up for the Ship Master to examine; the Sangheli warrior tracing their position all of the way to the hanger. The gold armored elite cursed, "Our shortest and safest route has been cut off by the parasite, and out back-up route has been cut off by the Demon… if all else fails, follow Plan C."

"Plan C? What is Plan C? I wasn't briefed about this when we started the mission." Zuterio protested, feeling a little angry about being left out of any informational loop.

"Make your own path." Yanni replied, following the maze of corridors before finding the one they were currently trapped in. "You see here is where we are," The Sangheli's large forefinger pointed to a moderate sized hallway with two other hallways running parallel to it. "The corridor we are in follows the access tunnels, but our scanners picked up substantial parasite movement beyond that bulkhead, and frankly, brother, we aren't equipped to fight that threat."

He then pointed to one of the corridors that were next to theirs, and there was an access hatch on their side of the bulkhead. "The Demon from the last reports has a free reign of everything down that route towards _Ghost _Team, which we can safely assume was wiped out. The last thing we need to do as specialists is to get ourselves killed before we have completed our mission."

Yanni chortled to himself a little bit. "So I suggest that we make our way to this corridor right here," He pointed to the hallway that didn't have an access hatch to their tunnel. "And head down to the lift at the end of that path. That should get us onto the third level and in a position to meet up with _Banshee _and_ Wraith _Teams so we can evac."

"How are we supposed to get into that corridor? There isn't a passage to it that can be accessed." Zuterio responded, sliding his finger down the length of the corridor and pointing to the doors that they _could_ use, but if they did, they'd be overwhelmed by the Flood presence there.

"We make a hole." He chuckled, pulling out his near empty gold plated Plasma rifle before he started to remove its paneling and started to rip out and cross wires. "We punch a hole right through this wall," The Ship Master continued, nodding his head at the cold metal wall to his left, "This metal, while durable, is flimsy, and when I short circuit this plasma rifle…it should give us the equivalent yield of at least twenty plasma grenades… enough to burst a hole and give us enough time to make it to the elevator."

"I will be honest and say that I have a sense of foreboding about this…you did say that you tended to make things worse rather than better." Zuterio muttered, standing up and slowly backing away from the hotwiring Ship Master.

"Relax, I've done this before with an empty charge before. We'll be fine, brother." The gold clad elite chortled, continuing to cross wires. "And yellow goes to red while purple goes to grey…and orange connects to the ion disruptor…wait…or does orange connect to the focusing prism…?"

"I wouldn't know Ship Master…re-wiring a plasma rifle to act as a blast charge was not something that was taught in the Special Operations curriculum back at the Holy City, _High Charity_." He said, now standing fifteen feet from his commanding officer. "And what, may I ask, is the charge on that rifle, sir?"

"Seventy-nine percent…so it shouldn't be too much stronger now should it? And-ha! Success, brother!" He chuckled as he stood up and walked towards Zuterio. "Toss me a plasma grenade. I require at least one to set it off."

Zuterio complied and tossed the Ship Master a grenade, which Yanni easily caught. The larger elite walked back to the hot-wired plasma rifle and set the grenade next to it; tapped on the activation stud and altering its timer; setting the explosive to ten seconds. "Ten units should be enough time to put some distance between us and our ticket out of here shouldn't it?"

Zuterio shrugged and started to walk away from Yanni. The gold armored elite activated the timer and took off; sprinting past the grey armored elite at an amazing speed. _'10'_

'_9'_

'_8'_ It took Zuterio two seconds to realize that Yanni had activated the timer, and he too took off; sprinting after the Ship Master.

'_7'_

'_6'_

'_5'_ Both elites were about five meters away at this point, but neither stopped running.

'_4'_

'_3'_

'_2'_ Zuterio and Yanni both stopped once they had about ten meters between themselves and the explosives.

'_1'_

_BOOMMMMMM!!!!!_

The explosion was massive, the light so bright that both Sangheli had to turn away lest they be blinded. The sound was deafening, and even their helmet dampeners weren't able to reduce the sound. And the shockwave…

It took them off of their feet.

And slammed the Sangheli into a bulkhead two meters behind them.

Zuterio had no idea how much time had passed since he had been knocked unconscious, but he knew it couldn't have been long because he could still see the metal corridor glowing red-hot. A coughing to his right caught his attention, and he managed to turn his head slightly to see Yanni kicking a panel off of a pile of debris. "Zuterio, report your status."

The grey armored elite wriggled his head. No broken neck. Next he wriggled his shoulders and arms. Nothing was broken there. Next were his hips, which thankfully signaled no damage there. His final check was his legs. He couldn't move them.

If his legs were broken, then he didn't feel any pain; the elite chocking up 'nerve separation' as the most likely cause. "Ship Master! I cannot move my legs!"

The gold armored elite laughed as he walked over to Zuterio. "Your legs are broken as much as they are pinned, soldier."

Yanni hefted the heaviest objects that held the elite pinned to the floor, and after a moment of wriggling, Zuterio was free to move. With the spec ops elite up on his feet, the pair headed down the warped corridor, their footing unsteady because the hallway listed nearly thirty degrees. It wasn't much further until they saw just how devastating the explosion had been.

Zuterio's mandibles opened wide as he saw the devastation. His hand immediately shot out and slapped the Ship Master's shoulder plate. "You said it would yield twenty plasma grenades! Not _plasma mortars_!" The spec ops elite bellowed.

The damage was extensive to say the least.

The improvised explosive turned into a giant ball of plasma at least five meters in all directions; three decks were exposed above and below their own. The metal was still cooling, and both elites treaded carefully to avoid any compromise in the corridor's structural integrity. "Well it is I said…I only did this with a plasma rifle with zero charge…I had never attempted it with seventy-nine percent charge before."

The spec ops elite looked at the gap in the floor, and it was nearly fifteen feet across to the other side and to their only way to the hanger: The elevator. Zuterio looked at Yanni. "Can we make it?"

"We are going to have to…look! We need to make it to the elevators if we are to survive!" The gold elite replied, pointing down to the lower decks; there were numerous Flood combatants slowly but surely climbing the newly made holes in the ship. Yanni looked at his motion tracker, and the entire screen was red; hundreds of contacts in all directions.

"By the Prophets!" The spec ops elite muttered before looking for something to grab a hold of as he shimmied himself closer to the edge. With his improved view, he saw that it was nearly a fifteen foot drop down below the decks. The fall they could easily survive. The dozen of flood at the bottom they could not. "It seems like making it to the lift down the corridor across this gap is our only ticket out of here."

"Of course." Zuterio heard his Ship Master say, but it was very faint, and the grey armored Sangheli turned around to see what was happening.

Yanni was ten feet back, and he took off into a sprint, flashing past Zuterio as he leapt nearly five meters. The younger Sangheli was surprised by this display of agility and speed as the gold armored elite soared through the air…and came up short.

The Ship Master let out a pained roar as his chest collided with the edge of the hole, and he breathlessly slapped at the metal flooring until he hoisted himself up; sprawling out on the floor. He looked up and saw that the lift was less than a dozen feet away. Once he regained his breath he stood up and pulled out his second Plasma rifle and started shooting at any Flood that tried to reach his and Zuterio's level. "Hurry! Jump Zuterio! I will not be able to hold them off with such a low charge!"

Zuterio looked down again at the gap, and those five meters seemed like a very long way to jump, not to mention the price of if he failed to make it. He shook his head and cleared his thoughts. He was going to make it. "If you aren't going to jump, then throw me the data! We cannot fail the mission!" Yanni roared as he continued to fire at the approaching Flood.

Without wasting another moment, Zuterio turned around and sprinted ten paces before turning one-eighty degrees and sprinting as fast as he could in the opposite direction. When he got to the edge he jumped, and he realized that he jumped too early; knowing in a split second that he would just miss the lip of the other deck.

Yanni's eyes went wide as he saw his brother jump as a little before he should have. "Brother!" The Ship Master exclaimed as he tossed his plasma rifle to the side, leaping forward and sliding to the edge of the hole; just barely managing to clasp his hand around the other Zuterio's wrist. The gold armored elite hissed in pain when he felt his shoulder pop out of its socket, but he suffered through it long enough to bring his other arm down to get a more solid grip.

"Hurry Ship Master! The Parasite is leaping at my heels!" Zuterio yelled, kicking his legs out to burst any infection form that tried to attach itself to his body. This worked for a few seconds as Yanni slowly pulled the Spec Ops Elite up, and once he was almost up a Combat form leapt up and wrapped its tentacle around Zuterio's leg. Then they were back to square one; the grey armored Sangheli dangling by one arm and the gold armored Ship Master on the floor doing his damndest to not lose his mission.

"Blasted parasite!" Zutiero roared, looking down and lashing out with his hoof. The spongy mass of putrid flesh just caved with the force of the blow, but it refused to yield and let go, so the Sangheli gave it a few more kicks. With each kick Yanni's grip lessened, forcing the more experienced elite to drop his plasma rifle and grab ahold with both hands.

"For the adoration of the Prophets! Why won't you release me parasite!?" The grey armored Sangheli gave the beast one last hit at the junction of its tentacle and shoulder; the rotting flesh giving away and the combat form fell onto its brothers.

"Finally!" Yanni grunted as he slowly pulled the spec ops elite up, and as soon as Zuterio was on the deck, he bolted up and grabbed his commanding officer and helped him to his feet. They both dashed towards the lift and slipped inside, the Ship Master slamming his fist on the wall. "Zuterio, which level? I cannot read this filth those infidels call script!"

Zuterio looked at the panel for a moment before pressing a switch labeled 'hanger', and the lift doors started to slowly close; the Flood that had made it upon their deck had started to rush the elevator. "If these doors could take _any_ more time to close!" The grey armored elite barked as he reached for his plasma rifle and started firing into the approaching Flood.

As soon as the doors shut and the lift started to slowly descend, Zuterio relaxed slightly, turning his head to look at Yanni, and what he saw made his mandibles flare open. The Ship Master of _The Truth Ascended_ was opening a small weapons locker which contained _human_ weapons. "Ship Master! Why do you toy with the heretic's weapons!?"

"Because," The gold armored elite began, picking up an M90A shotgun as well as a box of shells, "I don't have any more weaponry." He grabbed an SMG and three clips, attaching them to the hardpoints on his armor. "And because even though the humans don't believe in the Great Journey, they make effective parasite killing weaponry."

"That may be," Zuterio replied, "But if any one learned of this you might have your reputation tarnished…" He glanced at the matte' black shot-gun, "Besides, do you even know how to work their weapons?"

Yanni snorted and opened a box of shot shells and loaded twelve into the tubular magazine before sliding the action open and loading a round into the chamber. "Of course… I know how they work and just how devastating they can be."

Without much further talking Yanni slid a fresh clip of 5mm bullets into the SMG and placed it on his thigh. "There is another of these…sub machine guns…" He said, the words a little foreign in his mouth. "And one of their carbines," he said, nodding to the SMG and the MA5C attached to the small locker.

Zuterio looked reluctant to touch the human weapons, but when he evaluated his armament, he realized that he only had his half-charged Plasma Rifle and one plasma grenade. The Sangheli gave an angry growl as he picked up the assault rifle and tried to hold it in his arms, noting that it was a little small in his large hands. "Now the question is…" Yanni grinned, "Do _you_ know how to use these human weapons?"

And the lift continued its agonizingly slow descent to the flight deck.

1745 hours, November 2, 2552 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Air Space, Thirty thousand kilometers from Echo Halo, _The Great Fox_ Bridge.

"_Captain McCloud, Falco Lombardi has just arrived and is on his way to the bridge."_ The grainy metal voice of R.O.B. echoed throughout the ship.

Fox nodded, "Thanks R.O.B."

Krystal stared out the view screen of the Great Fox's main bridge, running her paw over Fox's ears absent mindedly as she was entranced by Echo Halo's majestic beauty; eyes dancing over the masses of green and expanses of blue that coated the inside of the silvery ring. "It's so strange…" The blue vixen murmured.

"What's so strange?" Fox asked, doing his best to tilt his head up so he could get a look at the vixen without loosening his bandages.

"It's so strange…that something so beautiful…something so pristine and pure could be such an insidious weapon." She murmured again, turning so she could give the red vulpine a quick kiss on his cheek.

"You what's even weirder is the fact that a bunch of freak-shows worship that thing." A heavy Brooklyn accent forced its way through the air, signaling that Falco had arrived onto the bridge. "But even _weirder_ still is finding out that Fox has decided to man-up and snag the girl."

Fox frowned as he felt his skin flush with embarrassment, and Krystal giggled. "That's not funny, Falco. We all know that if succeed with this final operation, then-"

"Yeah, yeah. I got it Fox." Falco interrupted, standing up next the blue fox and looking out the window at Halo. "If Halo doesn't go boom, then you and your new girlfriend won't live long enough to experience the joys of dating. I got it. Been there, done that, even got the t-shirt. It just didn't work out for me, but it just might for you two."

Fox once again frowned. That wasn't what he was going to say, but the blue avian's statement did its job.

"Let's just hope that the 'jolly green giant' lives up to his hype. I've got a lot of money riding on this." Falco stated flatly, crossing his wings over his chest. "Got a couple of suckers in the Lylatian Marine Corp who think that we won't make it out of this alive. I've got three months worth of pay from each of 'em coming my way if that wonderful Spartan of the human's succeeds."

"Only you, Falco."

* * *

**1755 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", **_**The Ripper**_**, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

"Glad that's over." Cortana sighed as the Chief breathed, finally through the sea of bodies that he was forced to slog through.

"You're one to talk." The Spartan ground out as he rounded the corner and shook his legs, any loose flesh that had accumulated on his armor fell to the floor. The super soldier deactivated his EVA oxygen supply in favor of using his air filters once more; allowing the compressors to refill his spent supply. John continued to follow the symbols on the wall until he came to a large set of double doors with the image of a black cog. "We're here."

"Of course we're here. We're here to blow this power core and get the hell out." Cortana pipped, her voice sounding a little on edge. "Listen, Chief. I have multiple contacts inside the engineering room…they're very faint, but I sense movement…and I think it's the Flood."

"Well it would be too easy if it _weren't_ Flood…" John growled as he gritted his teeth, reaching for the panel to open up the door.

"Chief." Cortana spoke as she brought up a map on his HUD, "The area is too cramped for you to use your mini-gun effectively. I suggest that we use our MA5B and both of our M6CD's; they're much better suited for close quarters combat. Anyways, before we go in…"

The Ship AI's voice flowed through his mind as more detailed schematics were brought up on his HUD; eight red markers glowing in the cramped looking area. "The Lylatians have succeeded where we could not in the fact that their Engineering Bay and access to their engine systems have been compacted into a small area…but for us, that's the entire problem. There is almost absolutely no room in order for use to maneuver, and there are very few pathways for us to head through…if we get sandwiched Chief…we're done for."

"Understood," John replied as he set the mini-gun on the ground and shrugged out of the ammunition pack. "What are we going to do about my weapon?"

"Don't you worry Chief. Once we go inside, I can lock the doors behind us. That way we can bring the M334 in with us…and have it as a back-up weapon in case things get nasty." Cortana said as she ran through the quick video briefing on more time. "That's if we can get to it…"

"Allright. I'm ready," The Spartan said as he made sure his grenade bandoleer was firmly slipped around his waist and double checked to make sure that his ammunition was ready to use. He raised the MA5B up to his shoulder and turned on his helmet flood light. "Open it."

"Opening now…" The locks securing the door shut quickly were quickly released and the heavy metallic slabs moved to the side; revealing a dark narrow corridor with multiple monitors on the walls and work stations dotting its length. The blue glow the monitors gave off did little to alleviate the darkness that permeated the areas that Chief's floodlight could not.

John tightened his grip on the assault rifle and stepped into the corridor and began to sweep every wall as far as his flood light would reach before he quickly turned around and picked up the mini-gun and dragged it into the engineering bay access; Cortana shutting the doors and locking them as soon as the Master Chief had cleared the sensors. "Allright, John, move forward carefully and sweep the area. Then once we're clear, you start blowing the covers and destroying the core stabilizers."

"Affirmative." John said as he started to walk down the first corridor and swept each and every small corridor that joined the first access to the second and third access ways.

First access way: "Clear."

Second access way: "Clear."

Third access way: "Clear."

"All clear, Cortana." John stated as he started to move back through and open each small panel safeguarding the engine core's safety locks. The Spartan opened up the first hatch and tossed a grenade in before slamming it shut and back-peddling quickly. A muffled explosion resounded throughout the cramped engineering bay, and the hatch was blown off in a concussive burst of flame and shrapnel; John's shields sparking as residual debris pinged off of his armor. "One down, seven to go."

Spartan-117 moved to the second and third hatches and tossed a grenade into each before moving down the hallways; filling hatches four, five, and six with their own fragmentive explosive. Five explosions following quickly one after the other echoed, and then as John was tossing in the final two grenades, red contacts filled his motion sensor, and dozens of infection forms burst through the vents on the floor and ceiling.

"Flood!" Cortana cried, and John tossed the two grenades in his hands into the crowd of infection forms instead of placing them in the hatch covers before shoving two more grenades into the hatches.

"Cortana, open the doors, we're getting out of here!" The Spartan yelled as he sprinted towards the exit and his mini-gun; four explosions roaring behind him as the explosives detonated. Without pausing his gait, John leaned down and scooped up the mini-gun and waited at the door to open. They didn't open. The super soldier's eyes widened and he unclipped his MA5B and started to fire at the infection forms that slithered through the smoke and flames. "Cortana?" He said, his baritone steely as he swept his fire from side to side.

"Well one of your grenades destroyed a power relay here in this cramped hole the Cornerians call an engineering bay! I'm rerouting power from another area now. Just do what you do best and stall!" The AI barked scornfully, a little irritated with John's ability to make simple situations more complicated than they should be.

The Spartan didn't reply, and instead focused on keeping the numerous infections forms at bay; unleashing quick bursts of 7.62 at the groups in the chances that their deaths would cause the demise of their counter-parts. Burst after burst the Spartan fired into the quickly approaching crowd, and he reloaded; slapping a fresh clip into the receiver after ejecting the spent magazine. Three seconds pass and he was forced to abandon a few feet of precious ground in order to stay out of the advancing Flood's clutches; reloading another magazine and firing that into the approaching crowd.

John grabbed another grenade, primed it, and just as he was about to toss it, Cortana stopped him. "Don't you _dare_ throw that grenade 117! If you do, you'll do even _more_ damage!"

The Spartan released the primer and continued to devote his attention to halting the infection form advance; layering the walls and ceiling with lead, and the floor in brass 7.62 casings. The door opened and John tossed the grenade that was already ready and dashed towards the door, leaping through just as the grenade exploded and cut the power; the doors sealing shut behind him as soon as he cleared them.

As soon as the Spartan impacted on the floor, he was up on his feet and scanning the area, his floodlight cutting through the green fog that choked the hallways. "Spartan, I'm activating the engine overload now that the safeguards are out of the way! We need to get to an elevator and to the hanger _yesterday_! We have nine minutes! _MOVE OUT, JOHN!_"

John didn't need any encouragement, and he hefted the mini-gun and ammo pack before he began to sprint down the hallways towards the nearest elevator as marked on his visor; taking directions from Cortana on the fly as they soared through the dimly lit corridors. As they made their way through the maze of similar looking corridors, Flood stepped in to impede their progress, their numbers not sufficient enough to try another large attack, or the "Flood Wave" strategy as it would be later named by the crews responsible for reviewing combat footage.

With the mini-gun in one hand, the Spartan grabbed one of his M6Ds and flicked the safety off. The explosives packed into the cores of each bullet allowed John to double-tap each Flood form; using two of the large 12.7 mm rounds instead of four or five. Spartan-117 aimed for the chest cavities of the Flood Combat forms, the explosions often destroying the infection from within. With five combat forms down, John reloaded with one hand as he resumed his firing, dropping Flood and using his armor as a battering ram against Flood that got too close; shooting off their tentacles and ramming into them with his shoulder.

"John! Take a right here and haul! Eight minutes!" Cortana barked, and John immediately followed his orders as the timer at the corner of his HUD ticked down. The Spartan hugged the corner and blasted a lylatian combat form in the chest with the large-bore handgun; the plastic explosive packed into the tip destroyed the infection for within. John shoved the body to the side and picked up his pace, placing the pistol back in its holster as the number of Flood in his path diminished; instead focusing on dodging those that were in his path.

"Cortana, can you open the elevator doors?" The super soldier questioned as he vaulted over a small group of infection forms; two of them sparking against his shield as they lunged at him from mid-air.

"I'm on it. But I can't open it too early." Cortana replied, and John hummed in reply as he rounded a corner and spotted the elevator; and thankfully, there were no Flood near it, only behind him.

John sped towards it, and Cortana opened up the doors. Once John was through, he turned around and un-holstered an M6D and began to fire into the approaching crowd; the doors shutting slowly. "Could these doors be any slower?!" Cortana growled in frustration as the reinforced doors lumbered closed. With the doors shut, the Spartan reloaded the handgun and placed it back in his holster as he pulled the ammunition pack onto his back and grabbed the mini-gun.

With a quick spin of the barrels, John concluded that his ammunition stores were sufficient and his weapons were in working order. "Any heavy resistance predicted as we make our escape route?"

"Not that I can tell…but I think that the Covenant might have set up shop their because of the number of troops we encountered at one of their checkpoints."

"Call in our ride, Cortana. I plan on leaving with a few minutes to spare this time." The Spartan murmured as he ran through multiple scenarios in his mind on what he could handle with his current armament, looking at the indicator on the wall. According to Cortana's basic translation, they had twenty more decks to descend until they reached the hanger level.

"_Horror Frost_, this is Blue 01. Mission is complete and the target is cooking off. Request immediate dust-off for extraction. Additional fire teams are required to quell Covenant presence on the Hanger deck. Tell your boys to be heavily loaded and ready to make a quick get-away…we may be cutting it close."

"_*static* Rodger that, Blue 01. We have teams already loaded up and should be at your position within six minutes. Over and out. It's good to see your still alive, try to come back with our boys in one piece."_

John nodded, "Affirmative." Was all he said as he kept his eyes on the elevator doors. Ten more decks left to descend, and the motion trackers started to pick up movement. "Cortana?"

At five decks plasma fire could be heard as well as plasma grenades.

"We have Covenant, Chief. Let 'em have it will all six barrels. Fire rate is at one-thousand rounds per minute."

The elevator let out a soft ding as the doors slid open to display the carnage; Covenant squads battling it out with Flood Combat forms in close quarters. The barrels of the mini-gun began to spin, and John started to depress the trigger; Cortana getting in a statement that couldn't help but make the Spartan-II smirk.

"Smoke 'em like a cheap cigar."


	39. The Final Push Part III

**OH MY GOD! IT'S FINALLY DONE!!! YAY!!! I will tell all of you readers out there that this chapter has been a doozie! I said in the opening chapter that it would be over 20,000 words long…well, I was a little off. Try about 32,000 words! I'm so happy.**

**And I'm sorry this came so late…college has just been kicking my ass with homework and projects. And Psychology….eh my God. Don't get me started on Psychology….**

**Anyways, this is the FINAL CHAPTER of Star Fox The Echo Halo: Run Alive Though the Light! Yeah! Its great to see the final chapter…but it sucks to see it have to end. I'm sure it does for all of you… but you and Syxx have been WAY more than patient, and now its time for the masses to enjoy the final chapter.**

**Be careful, this is a 13,000 word monster, and as you know, it took me weeks to write it…in-between the Army and school…yeah, forgot to mention the Army… XD**

**Anyways, this chapter has been a long time in coming, and I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Ignorant Writer Presents:**

**In conjunction with SyxxFox Studios…**

**An Ignorant One Production**

**THE ECHO HALO: RUNALIVE THROUGH THE LIGHT:**

**THE FINAL PUSH: PART 3**

**1805 Units (Covenant Military Calendar) **_**The Ripper**_** Hanger deck, Covenant designated "Vengeance Plateau", Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

Yanni and Zuterio nodded to each other as they waited for the doors to open. "One, two, three!" They shouted simultaneously and leapt through the open lift doors; weapons scanning the walls and ceilings in search of Flood. However, what they found were an assortment of plasma rifles and pistols staring them down from behind hastily constructed barricades.

"Hold your fire! The retrieval team has returned!"

This brought a roar of approval from the elites and a squeal from the grunts. A major elite stepped up from behind the front-most barrier and walked towards the two elites, "Yanni! It's good to see that you're still alive, brother."

"You too**,** Yuu'vsha. What of Tobin and Tobius?" The Ship Master said as he slapped the red armored elite in the shoulder.

"Well what is it with you and the heretic weapons?" The major shot back; a joking hint in his voice.

"The mission before honor. The mission before glory. Our weapons and munitions were expended, so we**'ve** decided that on-sight procurement would be our key to survival." The gold armored elite replied.

"As always." Yuu'vsha chuckled**.** "We evacuated the bond brothers and are ready to pull back."

"Let us leave then. My mate is waiting for me on Sanghelios, and I'm slated to return for leave! The sooner we complete this mission, the sooner I can get back to her!" Zuterio said with a little bit of excitement; the fact that their mission was nearly complete made the younger elite's chest swell with pride.

"Ah! Yes, let us not keep this hot blooded young male from his mate! Pull back to the hanger**,** brothers!" Yanni roared, pushing the troops back through the corridor until the Ship Master's motion sensor picked up movement. Movement coming from the vents.

"The parasite is upon us! We must fight our way to the hanger!"

As soon as that was uttered, **i**nfection forms burst forth from the vents on the floors and combat forms pounded at the thin alloy doors that lined the hallways. "It's a trap! Fight my brothers! Let the Ship Master and his Code-Master through! Their survival _is_ the success of this mission!" Yuu'vsha roared, gesturing towards the two elite with one hand while his plasma rifle started to sling hot bolts of plasma at the incoming Flood. With a short huff, the Major Elite raised a heavy hoof high into the air and brought it down to crush an infection form into the metal grating; grinding his leg from side to side as he disdainfully wiped the mess of rotten flesh off of his foot.

Yanni pulled out his SMG and watched his HUD change to an unfamiliar circle-like symbol; his helmet's assimilation software immediately pulling information from the weapon's built in chip to generate a reticule. He place**d** the reticule over a small group of infection forms and let off a short burst, the firearm rattling loudly in his hands; surprising him at the recoil despite the weapon's small size. A half a dozen round**s** left the barrel and speared into the group of infection forms, their explosive deaths killing other pods around them.

It took a few moments, but the elites managed to form a small train, placing the Grunts in the fore and aft positions of their formation as they quickly made their way out of the initial ambush kill zone. Infection forms were constantly dropping from the ceilings and popping against the Elite's armors, and the Sangheli were doing their best to keep their unprotected Grunts alive; valuing the added plasma pistol over the Grunt itself._ "*static* This is Banshee team, the parasite is upon us! *static* -going to fend them off while *static* -extraction in *static* -ive cycles!"_

A roar tore through the hallway of flood and plasma as a Tank form burst through a flimsy steel bulkhead and began a thundering charge at the group. "The parasite has deemed to try and take ou**r** hanger!" The Ship Master yelled as he forced his way to the front of the group, holstering his SMG and pulling his plasma sword off of his armor, "Are we going to just sit back and let them take it!?"

A chorus of hoots and roars came from the elites behind him as he activated the blade and felt the heat of it wash over his body and armor, "Then let us crush the vermin beneath our hooves and bring victory to the Covenant! To the hanger**,** brother!"

Yanni charged forward to meet the Tank form, and he leapt as high as the corridor would allow, planting his hooves into the large Flood form's face. The beast weighed nearly eight hundred pounds, and five hundred pounds of Sangheli and armor were more than enough to slow its assault; and it was forced to halt its charge in favor for engaging the Ship Master.

The gold armored leader landed light on his hooves and rolled to the side to avoid being crushed by one of the parasite's massive arms, and in response, he let his plasma sword cleave the limb in two; a foul smell filling the air as the rotting flesh sizzled. The Flood let out a loud roar, and nearly two dozen parasite forms spilled out of his gaping maw; impacting against the Sangheli's shields which completely drained them, the warning klaxons blaring loudly in his helmet. Yanni sidestepped another swipe from the massive creature as nearby infection forms exploded all around him courtesy of the well-placed covering fire from the group behind him.

He needed to move them forward. Move forward or die.

The Elite roared and lunged forward, driving the plasma sword deep into the parasite's chest, and was shocked when he was knocked off of his feet. The Ship Master's vision quickly cleared as multiple high-pitched chirps of Needler rounds being fired buried themselves into the injured Tank form. A loud explosion of pink and purple illuminated the area as the parasite exploded into large chunks of molted flesh. "Get up**,** Ship Master! We have but cycles to reach the hanger!" A fellow Elite said as he helped pull the gold armored Sangheli off of the ground and back into the fight.

"Don't be impatient, youngling**.** The hanger is just down the corridor and to the left." Yanni responded as he deactivated the sword and saved its miniscule remaining charge for later; having a feeling that he just might need it. He instead placed it on his hip and withdrew his shot-gun and unloaded a shell into a small pack of Infection forms; pumping the action in satisfaction at the efficiency of the human made weapon.

The Ship Master grinned and started to blaze a trail through the Flood with his new tool, only pausing to switch to his SMG or reload. A shell here, a shell there, and a quick burst of 5mm rounds everywhere; the Flood numbers began to quickly recede as the Special Ops team quickly moved forward. However, it wasn't much later that the Sangheli had realized that he had run out of ammunition for the shotgun, and it hit him as he was reloading it. Only five shells remained in the weapon as the large hand that was probing the ammunition case attached to his waist came back empty. With a few brothers overtaking him, he paused long enough to give his ammunition supplies a once over; finding that he only had one extra magazine for his SMG as well.

Yanni growled and ducked under an Infection form as he sailed over him, and he meleed the next one that leapt at him; the Sangheli realizing that he could no longer waist such precious ammunition on a single spore.

"Realize that you're low on ammunition**,** brother!" Yuu'vsha jaunted as he slowly passed the Ship Master, hefting his Plasma Rifle as he slid in another energy cell. "Ah the limitations of Heretic weaponry."

"Limited, yes," **t**he gold armored Elite replied as he slid his last shell into the tubular magazine and raised it up to his shoulder; a single pull of the trigger reducing a Lylatian Combat form into an armless corpse. "But very effective."

Yanni side-stepped a number of plasma rounds from a Sangheli combat form and opted for his SMG, letting off a quick burst of fire that shredded the parasite's shooting arm, and he rushed in quickly to scoop up the Plasma rifle it had dropped; destroying it with the combined firepower of both weapons. With the flick of his wrists, he had switched targets, laying down numerous Infection forms with quick, controlled bursts of fire; the rattle of the SMG and the discharge of the Plasma rifle working in tandem to eradicate the opposition.

"Look, brothers! The entrance to the hanger! Get inside quickly and assist _Banshee_ team with controlling the Parasite!" A chorus of roars filled the hallway as Yanni attached the SMG and the Plasma rifle to his thighs and withdrew his Plasma Sword. He clenched his fist and activated the blade; spearing the Tank form that was tasked with guarding the entrance. The Tank form thrashed from side to side, but the Ship Master plunged the blade even deeper into the large Parasite until it stopped moving; the beast falling to the side as it died.

_…………_

"What is that infernal sound!?" A black armored elite yelled as he stomped an Infection form into the ground and shot at a leaping Combat form.

_!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

Screams of terror and roars of surprise filled the corridor as yellow tracers shot all around the Ship Master; even the advancing Flood paused to consider the new threat. "By the Prophets, what is that-!?"

The obsidian armored Special Operations Elite didn't get to finish as nearly sixty 6.8mm armor piercing rounds forced their way through his shields and into his chest cavity; gore spraying the walls behind him as the bullets penetrated straight through. The lull in the fighting was broken when the Elite's body hit the ground, and the Flood renewed their assault; taking advantage of the Covenant's lack of momentum.

"The Parasite is trying to take advantage of our situation, Ship Master!" A minor elite roared as he fired into the Flood pooling in the hallway; the Sangheli aware of another attempt made by the parasites to smother their opposition.

_!!!!_

"He's right, Ship Master," Zeuterio said as he slid behind a crate near Yanni; his shield collapsing just as he hit cover. Nearly thirty rounds had impacted his armor on the same spot, and the grey armored elite wondered if he could stand up to any more. "We need to reach the hanger and assist _Banshee_ team!"

_Wwwwhhhhhhhhiiiiiirrrrrrrr… !!!!!_

"It's the Demon! Wo-ah-!" A Grunt screamed as he painted the walls next to him brilliant shades of pink and purple; nearly twenty bullet holes decorating his environment armor. A hissing accompanied with a bright light was found sitting in the deceased Grunt's palm, and a Minor Elite had just enough time to kick the carcass towards the Flood as the Plasma grenade exploded; taking a good sized portion of the pooling parasite with it.

"That's the opening you need, Ship Master! Get to the hanger and complete the mission! We will hold off the Parasite and the Demon!" Yuu'vsha yelled out as he popped around the corner and took a pot-shot at the Spartan, who ducked behind a crate to avoid the plasma bolt.

"Come, Zuterio, out mission awaits!" Yanni grabbed Zuterio by his shoulder plate and hauled him up; dashing with the Special Ops Sangheli towards the hanger door; his plasma rifle flaring to cut down any Infection forms that dared to get close. Two more black armored elites and a gaggle of Grunts followed them through.

"Ha, ha, hah! What do you propose to do now, Demon!**?**" Yuu'vsha taunted as he shoved a group of Grunts to the other side of the hallway to take care of any approaching Flood; three minor Elites following them across. "Hold off the Parasite, brothers**, **and the rest of us will slay the Demon!"

**1810 Units (Covenant Military Calendar) **_**The Ripper**_** Hanger deck, Covenant designated "Vengeance Plateau", Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

The sight of _Banshee_ team ensnared in an epic struggled with the Flood surprised both Yanni and the rest of his escort team. Flood were _everywhere_. They practically coated the floors and the walls, both the living and the dead. The hanger defense team, which currently consisted of two Hunters, three elites, and twelve grunts, were crouched behind a hastily constructed triangular barrier; their weapons blazing at the incoming Flood. Even with the fire support of the Phantom currently hovering in the hanger, its plasma cannon bellowing fiercely, it was hard to stem the tide of the encroaching parasites.

Immediately the two black armored elites that accompanied the Ship Master stepped in front of him and the Grunts behind him formed up; creating a mobile defensive perimeter around the gold armored elite. Zuterio raised the MA5C up to his shoulder and pinpointed a Flood Combat form. When he noticed that it was about to leap over Banshee team's perimeter, the Sangheli fired a quick, controlled burst; the weapon's upgraded accuracy allowed nearly all six rounds to penetrate and halt the parasite's advance. However, with the aid of the hive mind, the Flood inside the hanger already knew that Yanni's group had already escaped the corridor.

The parasites were quickly upon them, nearly two dozen throwing themselves at the mobile defense team; the Flood privy to the fact that there were plenty of Combat and Infection forms to assault both parties at once. Yanni growled and let loose a burst of plasma from his rifle at a leaping Combat form, satisfied when it split in half once it hit the ground. "Come on**,** Parasites! Come at get us!" He roared in response, unleashing a fragmentation grenade into the crowd below them; the sounds of Needler fire filling his ears.

**1805 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", **_**The Ripper **_**Hanger deck, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

**(7 minutes 39 seconds.)**

"Smoke 'em like a cheap cigar."

The Chief didn't need to be told twice as he pushed over a large crate and mounted the mini-gun on top of it; the barrels spinning up with a satisfying sound.

_…………_

Cortana whistled as a black armored elite paused in his fighting, John placing his helmet's crosshairs directly over the Sangheli's large chest cavity. "What is that infernal sound!?"

John waited until the elite had killed a Combat form before he depressed the triggers and let loose a hail of concentrated fire at the Sangheli; watching his ammunition counter drop quickly until he let off the trigger at _'1940' _rounds. All sixty impacted against the Special Operator's shields, which collapsed before the Covenant combatant could even respond to the threat; the elite collapsing to the side.

"Cortana, up the fire rate. I want to be able to neutralize them with the press of the trigger." The Spartan said, knowing that the first kill was only because he had the element of surprise. With the strength of even the minor elites, it would take nearly a second and a half of sustained fire to bring down their shields and kill them; and John knew that the Covenant forces would stay in one place long enough for that to happen.

"Allright, Chief. Three thousand rounds per minute. And you might want to cut back on the usage…sixty rounds per target is a little overkill." Cortana quipped, keeping a close eye on the motion tracker. "Chief, that Grunt is preparing to throw a grenade!"

_Wwwwwhhhhhiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrr……_

"_**It's the Demon! Wo-ah!"**_ John saw the small combatant just in time and lined up his crosshairs before letting off a quarter-second burst; the armor piercing rounds making quick work of the Grunt. He saw an elite kick the Grunt's corpse away just before the plasma grenade went off, and he let off a quick burst of fire; the elite's shields collapsing just as it made it behind cover. John let off the trigger and waited for movement, all of the Covenant forces were hidden within the adjacent corridor and the surrounding crates; suppressive fire was not his objective.

As soon as John was about to start warming up the barrels again, a Major elite popped up around the corner and began laying down suppressive fire; the Spartan dodging to the left and ducking behind the nearest crate for cover. "Chief, movement on the Covenant line is changing…their falling back to the hanger, and it seems that there are…about a hundred contacts inside."

John narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he poked his head out from behind his cover. "I have a sinking feeling that it is the Flood?"

"Yes." Cortana replied, "Although I'm very surprised at this…I've never seen so many combat capable units in one place at one time. There must be at least a thousand in the general area, Chief! We've never fought so many at one time-"

"_**Ha, ha, hah! What do you propose to do now, Demon!?"**_ The Major elite taunted as he fired a few more rounds downrange to keep the Spartan's head down. _**"Hold off the Parasite, brothers and the rest of us will slay the Demon!"**_

John was about to warm up the MPMG again, but he decided against it, instead opting to remove the pack from his shoulders before setting the weapon on the ground next to him. "Cortana, warn me if anything comes within three meters of the M334."

"Affirmative." The AI responded.

Spartan-117 removed one of the M6Ds from his holsters as he primed a Plasma grenade. With a speed that only the Spartans were able to achieve, John popped out of the corner and tossed the grenade down the corridor, which he quickly followed with a fragmentation grenade; bouncing it off of the wall adjacent to the Covenant forces. The high-pitched wail of the Plasma grenade was quickly followed with the muted thump of the fragmentation grenade; two cacophonous roars eclipsed both explosions as two minor elites burst through the smoke caused by the explosives.

John removed his second M6D and he pointed them both at the charging elites; both barrels blazing. Multiple fifty-caliber rounds impacted against each of the Sanghelis' shields, and the slugs exploded on contact; their barriers immediately collapsing. Plasma from their rifles flying all around his body and impacting against the sealed elevator doors behind him; however, multiple bolts impacted against his own shields, dropping them completely. With the warning bells in his helmet sounding, John had two choices: He could duck behind cover and hope that the advancing elites would take a more cautious approach as he waited for his shields to recharge, or he could try to kill the two of them while they were in the same position.

The super soldier made his decision as a bolt of plasma seared by John's helmet, and he side-stepped in order to evade more fire from the rapidly approaching Sangheli; realigning his aim on the closer of the two elites. Spartan-117 double-tapped both triggers and four fifty-caliber slugs, tipped with C12 plastic explosives, left the two handguns and buried themselves in the lead elite's chest cavity. The explosive force of the four rounds ripped the Sangheli's chest cavity apart and severed the unfortunate Covenant's right arm; the shredded elite's internal organs littering the corridor. With the first Elite dead, John focused his attention on the second one and lined up the two weapons; centering his crosshairs onto the creature's large cranium. A loud hiss could be heard as a plasma grenade was primed down the corridor, and the Chief let his aim slide to the left to tag a Grunt a couple of times before it could let the explosives fly.

Within a split second, John returned his aim towards the single Sangheli now crouched behind a crate; its flanks barely exposed as it waited for its shields to recharge. The Spartan let off a single bullet, and the fifty-caliber slug it found its way buried into the Elite's arm; the resulting explosion severing the limb at the elbow. Pain blossomed from John's chest as a plasma bolt splashed against his armor, and the intense heat began to cook the skin underneath. The reactive coating on the MJOLNIR power armor's chest plate immediately began to flake off with the residual plasma, and it fell to the floor; the intense heat slagging the metal underneath it. Once the armor defeated the plasma bolt, the suit's internal stress sensors administered bio-foam and pain killers to the afflicted areas as the skin underneath the crystalline body-suit began to crack and blister.

The final Spartan winced as the pain quickly dulled, but he kept his sights on the single elite, which was now clutching a plasma grenade in its remaining hand. _**"If I'm going to die, then I'm taking you with me, Demon!"**_

It activated the grenade and rushed towards John, knowing that with his shields down, even the backwash from the grenade could kill the Spartan. The Spartan double-tapped each of the M6D's into the Elite's thigh armor, and he leapt backwards over a crate as the large fifty-caliber slugs tore through the armor plating and buried into the Sangheli's flesh just before the plastic explosives in the tip detonated. The Minor Elite collapsed onto the ground and roared in pain. Two severed femoral arteries would have bled him dry within minutes, but the plasma grenade ended his personal crusade against John; consuming him in a bright flash of purple light.

Spartan-117 could feel the backwash from the plasma grenade as it went off, and he ducked behind the crate next to the M334 MPMG, bound and determined to let his shields recharge. "John, we only have seven minutes here. Please try to pick up the pace." Cortana reminded him as he reloaded his pistols, slapping two fresh magazines home before he attached them to his thighs before withdrawing his MA5B.

"I'm well aware of that**,**" he replied, thinking up a course of action to take as he weighed his options against his current armament.

"Well then, what do you plan to do about it?"

"Every problem can be solved with the proper application of high explosives." He growled out, checking on his current grenade stores: four fragmentation grenades and three plasma grenades.

With a small flash of green light, his shields recharged and John poked his head out from beside the crate to spy two plasma grenades on what was left of the Elite he butchered with nearly five ounces of high explosives. The Spartan smiled and sprinted out of cover, firing the MA5B as he went; the seven-point-six-two full-metal jacketed hollow point round keeping the Covenant behind cover and forcing those who were to find some. He launched off four grenades in all, two plasma grenades and two fragmentation grenades, making sure to spread them evenly along the corridor that the Elites and Grunts occupied; bouncing them behind enemy cover. Once he reached the Elite's body, he scooped up the two plasma grenades and tossed them downrange as well, this time**,** he sprinted back to pick up the mini-gun while he could; the smoke and shrapnel from the explosives still flying through the air.

John dropped the spent clip from the assault rifle and reloaded it before placing it on the small of his back, picking up the M334 and its ammunition pack and turning the crosshairs down at the end of the corridor. Only a couple of seconds had passed, and when the smoke cleared, only a single Elite was still standing; the high explosives killing Covenant and Flood indiscriminately. The red armored Major stood defiantly against the Chief as purple blood ran down the side of its face and down its mandibles; shield malfunctioning and Plasma Rifle raised. _**"Come Demon. Let us fight."**_

The Spartan spun up the barrels of the mini-gun and the Elite began to fire his Plasma Rifle, both combatants strafing in opposite directions to avoid each other's fire. Several bolts impacted against John's shields, dropping them to about fifty percent, and within a moment, the barrels had reached sufficient rotation to begin spitting death in the form of lead. At a fire rate of two thousand rounds per minute, thirty six-point-eight millimeter rounds tore their way through the Major elite's armor; killing it instantly. _'1870'_ "Any signs of movement in the corridor?"

Cortana with the aid of the suit's motion sensors ran a quick scan of the area, "There is movement about thirty meters east of us, and I detect an 87% probability of it being Flood. If we can make it through the doors and into the hanger, I should be able to lock them behind us which should prevent us from being flanked. If this is to work, I suggest we get moving _now_."

John didn't need any more encouragement as he leapt over a couple ofcrates and stepped over the Elite's carcass, warily eying the approaching Infection forms from the east. As soon as the door opened, the Spartan arrived to a scene that caused him to pause, if only for a moment. The Covenant and the Flood were battling it out in a pitched fashion he'd only seen on the first Halo ring. The sound of the door shutting behind him quickly brought him back to reality as he ducked behind the thick railing for cover while Cortana assessed the situation. "It seems like this strike force is pulling back. But with their numbers, that one Phantom won't be enough."

The Spartan nodded as he double-checked his weapons stores. "Bravo-323 won't be able to get access the hanger if that drop ship is still hovering in here to provide covering fire…we need to clean house." The AI quipped, "It's time to do what you do best."

With the doors securely locked behind him, the Master Chief activated the tri-pod and placed it on the thick metal guard railing and began to spin-up the barrels, lining his crosshairs up on the nearest group of Flood that could potentially threaten him. He narrowed his eyes on the gold armored Elite that was surrounded by the small Covenant detachment that escaped the corridor earlier. "Cortana, can you lock down the other doors in the hanger? We need to stem the flow of Flood, or else even with a full fire-team I don't think we'd be able to make it to the Pelican."

"I'll see what I can do." Cortana murmured, and John let the first small stream of jacketed lead fly from the mini-gun's multiple barrels. At nearly two thousand rounds per minute, the six-point-eight millimeter special purpose cartridges completely annihilated, the fully jacketed bullets turning combat and carrier forms alike into shapeless masses; the copious amounts of lead shredding rotting flesh and shattering bone. The ammunition counter read _'1823'_ when he let off of the triggers, but he kept the barrels spinning as he manually adjusted the rate of fire to about five hundred rounds per minute; the fire rate was a lot lower, but it gave the ability to spread the love rather than prioritize with his limited ammunition supplies. A quick burst of fire on a carrier form made it explode against a Covenant barricade, forcing it to release its infection forms behind the struggling Covenant lines; the explosion wounding friend and foe alike.

Within a moment John unlatched the mini-gun and crouched behind the metallic railing that provided him cover, crouching to keep his profile to a minimum, the Spartan moved about fifteen paces to the left to get out of the way of the main door should the Flood break through it; at least then he wouldn't have any on him immediately and it would give him some time to react. "Good thinking**,** Chief," Cortana murmured as she was still focusing on trying to shut down all of the doors, "For some reason the doors aren't closing correctly and…-"

Even over the gunfire both John and Cortana could hear a loud squishing noise, and the Spartan risked a peek; poking his head out over the edge of the railing as he readied to deploy the mini-gun again. What caught his attention were two Tank forms on either side of the hanger**,** forcing the doors open so that other Flood forms could continue to pass through. "John, dispatch those Flood; we need to stem the time in order to make _our_ escape even feasible."

"Affirmative," the Super Soldier groused as he attached the M334's tripod around the railing, spun up the barrels, and brought his reticule to bear on the Tank form. The Spartan wished he had a SPNKr rocket launcher at the moment. John's wishes were well founded as he depressed the triggers and let the bullets fly. Despite being covered in rotting and decaying flesh, the Tank forms proved their resilience and durability once again as dozens of six-point-eight millimeter rounds tore into their soft tissue; the bullets leaving numerous holes but the Hunter sized Flood not faltering under the assault.

Spartan-117 gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes as he raked fire up and down the massive Flood form, his eyes watching his motion tracker carefully. Soon the Flood in his immediate area started to turn their attention to the lone Spartan rather than the large group of well entrenched Covenant. A Lylatian Combat form leapt nearly thirty feet as it soared towards the Master Chief, who was forced to release the mini-gun as he removed both M6D's from his thigh plating to dispatch it; the large fifty-caliber explosive rounds tearing the macabre meat puppet asunder.

More Flood leapt up onto John's level, and the Super Soldier prioritized each form by their status, making sure to double-tap the closest ones while he still had ammunition left in the magazines. Eight combat forms fell just as the first M6D's large capacity magazine ran dry, and he continued firing with the five rounds left in the other pistol; felling a few more before he too was forced to reload the weapon. With only a Sangehli combat form and a couple of infection forms left on his level to impose an immediate threat, John replaced the pistols on his thighs and withdrew the MA5B from the small of his back to mop up what was left.

A loud roar reached his ears from the Covenant lines, and the Spartan watched as a Hunter blasted at the Tank form he had been weakening with its Fuel Rod attachment; the intense heat burning a whole clean through the massive Flood form. What was left of the Tank form collapsed backwards and cleared the doorway for Cortana, who promptly had it shut as soon as it was free.

A plasma bolt that flickered past his head brought his attention to the center of the area where a tuning fork-shaped drop ship now moved in front of the hanger as the Phantom withdrew a small group of Grunt and Jackals; the Elites spreading themselves thinner as they waited for their extraction to take place. A gold armored Elite waved to the Chief before laughing as it impaled a flying Combat form with his Plasma Sword; a Plasma Rifle nestled firmly in his other hand as a grey armored elite stepped to the side of him, an SMG rattling a dozen infection forms to bits. "I…I do believe that was a challenge, Chief." Cortana murmured.

"I couldn't care less." John growled as he brought the M334 back up to two thousand rounds per minute as he swung his fire on the Flood advancing from the Elite's right flank; decimating the spongy masses with a hail of hot, jacketed lead. With the smooth angling of his body he dragged the reticule up to the other Tank form that was holding the door open, and the Chief spared no expense in taking it down; expending nearly two hundred rounds of ammunition in order to kill it. With the flow of Flood finally cut off, both John and the Elites started to focus their firepower on the remaining Flood, the parasites still numbering in the dozens as they split their attentions equally between the Spartan and the Covenant.

However, equal doesn't always mean proportional, and for every Combat form that threw itself against eleven Elites and two Hunters, there was one Combat form launching itself at John. Plasma erupted from the Covenant as they struggled to fend off the Flood with their reduced numbers, and Spartan-117 was forced to abandon the mini-gun in order to stay mobile and keep himself from being overrun.

John cursed and removed his MA5B from his back as he backpedaled away from the Flood that landed next to him; the Spartan releasing seven-point-six-two full metal jacketed rounds into the abominations with the precise jerk of the weapon's barrel. With the flick of the lever, the Master Chief dropped the empty magazine and quickly replaced it as he mopped up any remaining infection forms that lingered. "Cortana, how much longer until Bravo-323 shows up? We don't have much time left here."

"Don't worry John**;** they should be here within two minutes- look! The Covenant are retreating!" Cortana cried out as the fork-like silhouette of a Covenant Spirit drop ship entered the hanger and touched down, its single belly turret firing fiercely into the quickly approaching Flood. It took less than a second for John to realize that the Flood had changed their attention from him to the remaining Sangheli and the two Lekgolo, and with their change in targets, Spartan-117 too changed his priorities. The charging of a Fuel Rod cannon could be heard, but the Spartan could barely hear it over the cacophony of weapon fire.

"Move it, move it, move it!" Cortana cried, and on instinct**,** John followed her orders and detached the M334 and rolled to the side in order to avoid being bi-sected by a Fuel Rod beam; the metal wall behind him hissed and spat as the intense heat caused it to melt. "Those Hunters aren't going to make your job any easier**,** John, take them out, or at least one of them, _now_."

John kept himself behind cover as he set down the MPMG and removed an M6D from his thigh plate and held it out in front of him with both arms extended; the Spartan remembering from his training days that this position favored the accuracy he would need in order to put one of the pistol's fifty-caliber HE-F rounds into the Hunter's cores. After taking a deep breath and double-checking his motion tracker, John exploded upwards from his crouched position and aimed the pistol at the nearest Hunter, which had moved next to the gold armored Sangheli that was busy marshalling his troops towards the drop ship. He quickly activated the magnification scope on the weapon just as he heard the other Lekgolo's Fuel Rod cannon charging up and lined his crosshairs up on the large orange gap between the armor and pulled the trigger twice. Two large rounds exited the barrels at just under twelve hundred feet per second and crossed the fifty-yard distance in the blink of an eye before impacting against the soft mass of worms; the two C12 plastic explosive filled round detonated just as they were halfway through penetrating, and the result was a hole nearly the size of a basketball. A deep guttural roar filled John's ears just as he ducked behind cover to pick up the mini-gun and he waited for the Fuel Rod cannon to fire, but it never did.

The Spartan peered over the edge cautiously and found that the solitary Hunter had been driven mad with rage at the loss of his bond brother and leapt over the barriers that provided cover for the remaining Covenant. It had firmly entrenched itself in the sea of Flood that still continued to assault the Sangheli, and it swung its shield and fired **its** Fuel Rod beam indiscriminately; resulting in a great number of parasites either being crushed or incinerated in the ensuing chaos. From what John could see a number of the Elite's protested and tried to calm the single Lekgolo, but soon decided to make a tactical retreat towards the drop ship; their ride out of combat. "Whenever a Hunter has lost one of their own they go berserk and attack the nearest objects…in this case: Flood." Cortana said smugly, her voice instantly changing back into its usual tone, "Back to work, Spartan. Those Flood should keep it busy enough, so we need to press our advantage."

The Spartan didn't respond as he sprinted back over to the mini-gun and spun up the barrels, pausing only a moment before he turned his reticule on the nearest Elite. When he fired, dozens of bullets lanced through the Sangheli's personal shields and past the thick armor; the target slumping to the floor in a pool of its innards. A swift shift of the human's massive shoulders caused him to line up a retreating Sangheli, and he too killed it with lightening quickness; John being sure to take advantage of the weapon's accuracy and high rate of fire.

"Chief!? Move!" Cortana bellowed, and John responded immediately as the high pitched sounds of Fuel Rod cannon warming up filled the entire hanger. The super soldier detached the tripod from the railing and slid over to the right as he sought cover behind the thick metal walkway. Unknown metals immediately reached their boiling point as the intense heat from the lone Hunter's stray Fuel Rod beam slowly caused them to melt. John felt his weight shift just slightly as the walkway's integrity quickly became compromised, and with lightning quickness he leapt away as the catwalk clattered to the ground and crushed a half a dozen Combat forms. "Why do I always have to pay attention for you!?"

"It was bound to happen." John replied nonchalantly as he set the mini-gun back up and continued to target the nine remaining Elites; the Spartan knowing that the enraged Lekgolo would continue to attack without pause until another drop ship could retrieve it. The Spartan could always kill the final Hunter later, but the retreating Elites were his highest priority. With a couple moments of sustained fire, two more black armored Sangheli were dead before their bodies hit the deck, and the remaining Covenant were forced to beat a tactical retreat; the Elite Ship Master and a grey armored Elite assisting in loading up the remaining troops.

With just under thirteen-hundred rounds remaining thanks to his conservation skills, the Spartan flicked the high-volume weapon up to its maximum fire-rate of three thousand rounds per minute. At that rate, fifty six-point-eight millimeter rounds would be able to leave the weapon in under a second. Even with the increased shield strengths of the Sangheli Spec Ops, it would only take the blink of an eye to end their lives. John lined up the reticule on the Spec Ops Elite that was mounting up on the Covenant drop ship on the right and pulled the trigger.

**(3 minutes 12 Seconds)**

**1813 Units (Covenant Military Calendar) **_**The Ripper**_** Hanger deck, Covenant designated "Vengeance Plateau", Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

Yanni ducked his head and spun to the right, using his body's momentum to cleave the leaping Lylatian Combat form in two. He could feel the drop ship's anti-gravity propulsion units as it slowly settled onto the deck behind them. With his Plasma Sword in one hand and Plasma Rifle in the other, the Ship Master roared in delight as the thrill of battle over-took him. He already knew where the Demon was, and was content in letting the heretic help stem the flow of the Flood. "Fight harder my brothers! If the Demon can engage the Parasite by itself, then why can't a Special Operations squad with a Lekgolo escort do the same!?"

A chorus of roars and jeers erupted from the remaining Elites as moral was high; the Covenant Strike Force had yet to sustain any casualties despite the arduous assault taken on by the Flood. Yanni did not forget to take into account the Demon's immense assistance as he watched yellow tracers tear into the Tank form that was holding the door open. Zuterio stepped by him and destroyed a dozen infection forms with the quick rattle of his SMG; giving the Ship Master a questioning glare when the gold armored Sangheli gave the Spartan a wave. "Ship Master, why are you antagonizing the Demon!?"

"I'm not antagonizing him, brother," The Task Force Commander stated as he shot the legs out from underneath a charging Lylatian Combat form before running it through with his Plasma Sword, "I'm just merely enjoying his support before he turns his fire on _us_. Lekgolo," He stated as he touched the large Hunter's shield, "Destroy the Parasite that is holding the doors open. Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated."

The worm colony mass responded with a voice so deep that it still sent shivers down the Ship Master's spine every time he heard it. _"By your command, Ship Master. It shall be done."_

Without another word the Lekgolo began to charge it's powerful Fuel Rod cannon and carefully aimed before it fired off a solitary round, the force of nearly a dozen plasma grenades all but vaporized the large arms of thee Tank form, which fell backwards into the hallway and let the door close. "Excellent shot brother! That should stem this tide! Everyone to the drop ship, now!" Yanni roared as he burnt any parasites that broke through the gaps in their defensive perimeter.

Yanni and Zuterio placed their hands on the edges of the dropship and began to cover the retreat of his soldiers, "Brun'haw! We will not be able to take you on this Spirit, but we have a Phantom on the way for you and your bond-brother's extraction!"

The nearest Lekgolo turned towards him and walked closer as the worms near the massive creature's throat vibrated, _"Do not fear for this pair. The Parasite poses no threat and it will take more than a Demon to slay these staunch defenders. This one will meet you back on the __**Shadow of the Forerunner**__ upon the advent of the Great Journey- rrraaaggghhh!!!!"_

The massive Hunter stumbled forward as the gap in its armor seemingly exploded, leaving a gaping hole nearly cross-unit across. The Ship Master's face contorted into that of surprise as the Lekgolo collapsed to the ground; yellow-orange gore spilling to the floor as the multitude of worms that made up the whole withered and died. The bewildered Sangheli slowly wiped some blood off of his face as Hrun'baw, the other Hunter's bond-brother, roared with rage and charged into the crowd of Flood that lay beyond the protection of the barricades. The creature attacked everything that was within his sight when his brother died. Suddenly the realization hit him as the cogs of his mind started to turn as the new sequence of events, and upon quick examination of the wound and the lack of fire from the Demon brought him to one conclusion. "Brothers! Get your hides to the Spirit if you wish to live! The Demon has deemed the Parasite unworthy and instead set his sights upon _us_!"

Zuterio was about to leave his post to try and consol the infuriated Lekgolo, but the Ship Master dismissed it immediately. "He will be fine, Zuterio, we need to get everyone on board before the Demon resumes firing-"

_Vvvaauuggghhh!!!!! _

His statement was cut off as a black armored Spec Ops Elite cried out and fell to his knees, arms scrambling desperately to keep his internal organs within his body before a bullet tore through his helmet and spattered his brains all over the metal grating. Another shrill chatter of the Demon's monstrous weapon could be heard, as well as the cries of two of his brother before they skidded to the ground dead. This was quickly getting out of hand, and there were three of his fellow Sangheli still retreating to his position. "Ship master, the left troop compartments are full**!** The pilot says that we need to mount up in order to get the Phantom in to extract the Lekgolo!"

_Vvvvaaauuugghhhh!!!!!_

Yanni narrowed his eyes and looked up at the Demon; time began to slow to a crawl, and for the first time he finally saw what so many others had seen…and he knew why they called him the Demon. The jade armored warrior stood tall and erect like a statue, the flash from the multiple barreled weapon glinted violently off of his impassive and impersonal gold visor; dozens of brass casings bounced around and off of his shields, giving him a demeanor and attitude that like nothing could touch him. The Demon looked like a monster in a gilded jade shell, and he proved himself to be just as ruthless as the stories that were told.

Dozens of tiny yellow flashes left the barrel, and with a soundless cry another brother fell right before his eyes. The Ship Master was able to tack and watch the yellow tracers as they effortlessly ripped through the black armored Sangheli's shields and tore him in half; his torso skidding along the metal grating while his lower body hit the deck and started to twitch. The Sangheli watched in shock as the tracers, those tiny glowing cylinders of death, arced around without a pause and in a sweeping motion, severed another Special Operation Elite's leg from his body. Yanni wanted to vomit, but his warrior's stomach wouldn't allow it as he seated a fellow Elite and strapped him in while Zuterio did the same to another brother.

The maimed Sangheli could only cry out as he clutched his leg in pain, and Yanni swore he could see everything moving in slow motion; the violent jerking motions of pain looked sedated and sluggish… as did the searing hot tracers that made a neat line up to tear the warrior's left arm off. The Ship Master watched with wide eyes until his brother's suffering was put to rest with another pass of the searing, jacketed lead. "Do you want to end up like our brothers, Ship Master!?"

Zuterio cried as he seated himself in the Spirit and strapped himself down, and it was at that moment**,** Yanni realized that the only person still on the ground was himself. His pace was quick, and his training had done the job very well as he fastened his straps with practiced ease. Another brother was sitting beside him, his black armor gleaming softly in the pale glow of the troop bay. "Pilot," the Special Operations soldier shouted. "We're all here! Take off at once, I do not feel like becoming the next notch on that monster's weapon-"

The doors were almost halfway closed as the soldier spoke, but it did little to stop the number of tracers that slipped through the small gap and slew the Elite where he sat; blood decorating the interior as the craft slowly ascended into the air. With the pinging of bullets off of the armored hull, Yanni knew full well that had the doors shut a split second slower, he too would be just as dead as the brother beside him. "The Demon struck our craft, is she still space worthy!?"

"Of course Ship Master, it will take more than just small arms fire from the Heretics to pierce our hull. What is the status of our mission?"

"A success," Zuterio murmured as the ship jostled from side to side, and Yanni placed a powerful arm up against a portion of the interior that wasn't covered in blood to steady himself as he unbuckled his harnesses and stood up to move to the empty seat on the gray armored Elite's right, "Yes…" He said slowly, "A success…"

Moments passed before anyone spoke, and Zuterio was forced to break the silence as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, "He was truly a Demon…a Monster beyond a doubt."

"Fool."

The younger Sangheli's head whipped around to lock eyes with the Ship Master, "Why would you say that, Sir?"

"Because what makes him a Demon is exactly what makes _**us**_ demons."

"I don't understand**,** Ship Master, why are you speaking so trivially?"

"I'm not. The humans call us 'Demons' because we slaughter millions of their people without hesitation or remorse. Though futile, their efforts are as commendable as their fighting spirit. Even you cannot deny me this, Zuterio." The gold armored Sangheli had a somber expression on his face before the younger Elite clicked his mandibles.

"Skillful and resourceful? Yes, they've produced warriors of various calibers, and in any ground confrontation they have never failed to fight valiantly, and they rarely surrender. They fight to the last man, but they fight without honor-"

"That is beside the point! We are no better than the Demon himself! When Dai 'Shan was bleeding on the ground with his leg severed from his body, did it hurt!? Did you hurt with him as his arm too fell victim to the Demon's vicious assault!? Did you feel a sense of loss when his life's flame was finally extinguished in a hail of leaden rain?" Zuterio nodded on all accounts, his eyes narrowing, "Now here is the real question."

Yanni leaned in real closely and put his mandibles to the youngling's ear and continued, "When was the last time you had killed a human? When was the last time you melted a hole through one of their warriors, or ran through one of the furred Heretics with you Plasma Sword? How much did you revel in their pain? How much did you enjoy the distraught cries for their comrades as you slew someone they knew as brotherly as you once knew Dai 'Shan?"

Without pausing, the older Sangheli continued. "Everything that we accuse the Demon of doing, we have done ourselves. Are we so blinded by the thought of the Great Journey to realize that we've become that which we despise? I could recount every time in which I've stripped their warriors of life and limb slowly and painfully…and I remembered enjoying every moment of it. The Demon is no different…except in the fact that he has shown more mercy to our comrades than we have shown to his. What we are failing to see is that the Demon has more honor than we do."

**1814 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", **_**The Ripper **_**Hanger deck, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System**

**(3 Minutes)**

"Was that really necessary, John?" Cortana quipped as John leapt over the body of the dismembered Sangheli, spraying lead as he landed heavily on the back of a Lylatian Combat form; its tail spasming as its spine was crushed.

"I have a reputation to uphold." Was the only gruff reply, the Spartan's main focus on keeping the Flood forms at bay while he waited for the Pelican drop ship to arrive.

"You're unbelievable. As if the Covenant didn't hate us enough already," Cortana growled in disappointment; had she her visible form, her arms would have been crossed over her chest.

"What?" John replied as he swung his weapon in a wide arc above his head to club a soaring Combat form, using the energy of the arc and the contact to side-step nearly a dozen infection forms.

"What do you mean by 'what'?! Gah, never mind, just get us _out of here_ _alive__**,**_ Chief." The AI growled. Her processors working overtime to calculate their estimated chances of survival if the rescue team didn't show up within the next thirty seconds, and they were not looking good. "Chief, if our ride doesn't show up, we're done for." It took only a flicker of her sub-routines to change to her wide-band emergency frequency, _"__**Horror Frost**__, this is Blue-01 and Spartan-117! Where is our dust off?!"_

"_Stay calm, B.E.A. We have your extraction team inbound and should reach your area in ten Sierras, over?"_ The communications officer responded coolly.

"_Roger that __**Horror Frost**__- be careful! There are two of us in here, remember!?"_ Cortana cried out as John narrowly dismembered a dashing Lylatian combat form with the withering fire of the mini-gun.

"_Spartan-117, this is Bravo-323 coming inbound and hot for extraction. We've got a visual on a Phantom trying to enter the hanger from the south, and it should be within your L.O.S. immediately. Prepare for some fireworks if you've got the time to kick back."_ The Pelican pilot interjected, the whine of the engines clearly heard through the Mark VII's helmet speakers.

A large explosion of blue and gold flames could be seen out of John's peripheral vision, and when the Spartan had finished mowing down two Flood Combat forms, he spared a second to glance at the lifeless husk of a Phantom as it crashed into the hanger; steel and other metals screeched and groaned as it quickly slid towards the pair surrounded by the Flood. "JOHN!? MOVE!" Cortana bellowed, and the Spartan kicked himself into overdrive; running and jumping over Flood and obstacles in order to get out of the destroyed drop ship's doomed flight path.

The screeching grew louder as John sidestepped a falling chunk of the ship and then dived into a protected niche on the wall just as the Phantom came to a screeching halt. The solitary Hunter's rescue was just destroyed, and the warrior gave the sparking, sputtering wreckage a cursory glance before he took off towards the sounds of a Pelican's engines. The smoke from both the weapon and the craft made it hard to see, but John put faith in Cortana and his motion tracker as he sprinted towards the center of the hanger. _"Bravo-323, that better have been a necessary shot because you almost killed us!"_ Cortana growled before switching her attention to her charge, "John, eight Flood, thirty meters to our right."

John didn't need another word as he spun to his right and dropped down to a knee, resting the M334 MPMG on his knee as the barrels spun up. He looked at the moving red dots on his motion tracker and leveled the spinning weapon in an approximate guess of where they would be standing and he pulled the trigger, sweeping his fire from left to right, burning through nearly three hundred rounds in the process. _'798'_ "Targets confirmed down, keep moving. Forty meters until we reach our extraction point." Cortana murmured, her voice more calm than it previously had been.

The Spartan continued to move as quickly as he could through the thick smoke, and within a moment he was out of the smoke and greeted with the sight of a Pelican touching down and two fire teams streaming off of the back; their guns blazing to mop up any left-over Flood. John wanted to thank Cortana for helping him shut the hanger doors to limit the Flood, but that he could do that after they were off of this God Forsaken weapon called 'Halo'. _"Come on__**,**__ Chief,"_ an Australian accent flooded into his speakers, the sound accompanied by the sight of an ODST Staff Sergeant waving him towards the Pelican as the men around him laid suppressive fire. _"We've got to get a move on if you want to get far enough away to watch the fireworks!"_

"_Fox-2! Fox-2!"_ The Pelican pilot bellowed and John watched as a 140mm rocket screamed into a pool of Flood on the other side of the hanger; the high explosives and searing hot shrapnel reducing the gathering to bits of limbs and charred flesh.

"_Marty, get some fire on that Flood pocket! Help the Marines mop up what's left!"_ With those words, the gunner responded, and two 30mm chain-guns descended out of the chin of the aircraft and began to spray depleted uranium slugs at nearly four hundred rounds per minute. John could see the fat searing tracers as the slugs reduced Flood and objects alike into ribbons; the hanger floor and objects seemed to fare better as the infected beings were nearly vaporized by the incendiary rounds.

_**!!!!!!!**_

It was a roar that caused even the pilots to take notice, _"What the hell was that!? Marines, what's your status? We may have big guns, but we've got blind-spots!" _The Pilot's bark filtered into John's internal speakers.

"_That was the Hunter, Bravo-323."_ Cortana responded, _"Everyone, get on board, and get this Pelican turned around! We need to get out of here NOW!"_

"_You heard the lady, saddle up__**,**__ boys; it's time to mosey on out of this saloon."_ The Australian Sergeant ordered, firing into the approaching Infection forms as the Marines slowly walked their way back to the Pelican. Vents from all over the hanger burst open as an unimaginable number of Infection forms spilled into the area; within seconds the floor looked like it was alive. _"Shit! Everyone get back NOW! There is no way in hell we can fight that many off!"_

With the final few sporadic bursts of covering fire, the Marines piled into the Pelican without hesitation, and John was still approaching steadily, the barrels on his mini-gun spinning wildly as he kept the nearest infection forms from attaching themselves to the hull. _"We're waiting on you Chief! Get on board!"_

"I'm on my way…fire a rocket into the very center of that formation Bravo-323." John ordered, and with the pull of a trigger a 140mm rocket sailed into the largest formation of Infection forms and exploded, sending biomass everywhere; the explosion causing dozens of nearby Flood to exploded. As soon as John let off of the trigger, he hopped into the troop bay of the Pelican and secured the mini-gun in the magnetic lockers above the seats and turned to man the seven-point-six-two millimeter chain gun.

"We're good to go. Turn us around while we're exiting, I'll hold off the Flood."

The pilot was immediate to respond, the thrusters on the Pelican tilting to turn the large troop ship, and as soon as they turned, they were granted with the view of the infested hanger. Hundreds of Infection forms had managed to occupy the entire hanger within ten seconds…and then another roar, though faint of the howling of the engines, could be heard as the Hunter, still alive amidst infestation, charged up its Fuel Rod Canon and pointed it at them. With the unearthly glow the weapon glinting off of his covered body, it looked extremely sinister, and within the moment it could end their escape from Halo.

"_EVASIVE MANEUVERS!"_ One of the Marines cried.

John wouldn't allow that to happen. He and Cortana had come too far, and suffered too much hardship to die during the escape. Spartan-117 would not be earning his gravestone at New Arlington. The pilot was quick to react, and juked the Pelican left as the Hunter fired; its bolt of radiation and death swinging wide. Undeterred**,** the Hunter charged up for another shot.

The last of the Spartans didn't allow it to fire, the fire he threw at the large Lekgolo was astounding, the 7.62 chain gun's hail of bullets withering. The projectiles pinged off the armor initially, but the rest penetrated into the Hunter's fleshy core; the beast succumbed in a pained roar, its shield the last thing the occupants of the Pelican could see as the Infection forms piled on top of it.

"_We're clear, Captain, get us the hell out of here!"_ Cortana cried as the Pelican escaped the hanger's airlock.

"_Well ma'am this thing ain't the most nimble of craft…nor is it the speediest with four thousand pounds of people and equipment in the back!"_

"_We don't want your excuse__**,**__ damnit! Just get us out of orbit before this whole rescue operation turns into a big Charlie Foxtrot!!"_The Australian ODST yelled, _"If I die here I won't be able to tell my grandkids about how I saved the Master Chief!"_

John reluctantly let go of the chain gun and closed the rear hatch as the Pelican climbed as fast as it could; despite being laden it still managed to make it into the upper atmosphere within forty seconds.

"Sixty seconds left, John." Cortana quipped; had she had lips, a small sigh would have escaped them. "I gave us plenty of time…and here we are again…cutting it so close."

John didn't say a word as he sat down in the empty seat, his eyes looking forward as they broke through the atmosphere and into space. Without air resistance the Pelican quickly picked up speed, and within thirty seconds they were almost within a safe distance.

John tilted his head as he watched the timer, and with the flick of Cortana's sub-routines a holo-screen unfolded against the rear of the troop bay; the screen showing a rearward view of Halo. The marines shuffled a little bit in silence.

**10.**

"_Will we make it, Cortana?"_The pilots up front asked as they concentrated on coaxing every last scrap of power out of the Pelican.

**9.**

"_We'll make it. Don't worry."_ John spoke, his voice filtering through all of the speakers; but it didn't help anyone on board relax.

**8.**

The rest of the Marines glanced around nervously as they watched the Chief sit rigid like a statue, counting down on his fingers "So…Chief…? What happens next?"

**7.**

**6.**

**5.**

**4.**

A few tense seconds passed before John looked at everyone in the cabin, the reflection of Halo glinting off of his golden visor.

**3.**

"Watch the boom."

**2.**

**1.**

**Boom.**

_All hands aboard every star ship in the vicinity watched in awe at the spectacle. Halo, a dyson-ring of unparalleled beauty and grace; its surface dotted with lush forests and pristine lakes… all of it a deadly, deadly façade. _

_It was a weapon of amazing power. One of seven rings that had the horrifying ability to cleanse the entire galaxy of all life all for the purpose of keeping an even more sinister force at bay. The Flood, a race of extra-galactic parasites that stop at nothing to consume everything of sufficient biomass in order to further their own existence; a truly terrifying race of creatures indeed. _

_However, minds weren't on the Flood as they watched the majestic super weapon hang suspended in space; eyes paying attention to the ultra-bright flash of white light that pin-pointed the location of __**The Ripper**__. The overloaded cores exploded in such a fashion that they ripped a line clean through the thick infrastructure of the dyson-sphere. With its shape distorted, the ring was slowly torn apart by the explosion and the momentum of its own rotation; large portions of the ring breaking off and crashing into other portions._

_Even Lord Hood, from his command chair on the UNSC Flag Ship, __**The Spirit of Earth**__, watched the destruction of the weapon from multiple live feeds. The High Admiral let out a sigh of relief, the man murmuring his personal prayers and thanks to the Master Chief and Cortana. Neither of them would hear from the Admiral until much later down the road._

_With a flash of light__**,**__ the weapon that was once called 'Halo' was reduced to rubble floating through space, but the people were too busy celebrating to realize that the threat went from one centralized location to dozens of locations. The Flood. Even with the ring's destruction, Flood still thrived on the fragments; fragments that slowly hurtled off towards different planets around the area._

_However, none of this mattered to those who had just come out of the fighting as the Pelican drop ship Bravo-323 acquired a large __**Longsword**__ escort back to the __**Great Fox. **_

_The initial fight was over. For now the warriors on both sides could rest and recuperate. It was a time for celebration, for the safety of the immediate galaxy had been secured._

_**EPILOUGE:**_

**1830 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", **_**The Great Fox **_**Hanger deck, Linksis Dawn System**

"Here. This is yours."

"Wha-what? You- you brought this for me!?"

Without another word Ensign Martin Everest, a German Sheppard dressed in mismatched naval fatigues and armor, took the notebook and opened up, revealing his handwriting. Noticing that something was still wedged between his plate armor, John reached back and produced a piece of paper; revealing the nearly nude photo of the young naval officer's wife. "I believe this is also yours, Sir." The Spartan said in a flat monotone, giving the officer a crisp salute as he handed it to the canine.

"Ahwooh! Whew doggies, who knew that the Ensign had such a hot wife!" A fellow Lylatian called out as he snatched the photo from the Sheppard…the dog was quick to snatch it back, tucking it neatly back in his journal.

"I believe that is for my eyes only-" The young officer said before the loud speaker opened up; a grainy robotic voice filtering through.

"**Spartan-117, your presence is requested on the bridge, Captain's orders."**

It was as the super soldier expected, the hundred plus members of both services stared directly at him. "Sir, permission to take my leave?" John spoke, still aware that while from another service, under the coalition the young canine was his superior.

The Sheppard was nearly slack jawed as he nodded, and the Spartan saluted, to which the dog saluted back.

The hanger was in silence as the armor clad human strode to the bridge, both the healthy and the wounded taking notice as the Spartan's presence passed over them. Once the doors shut, a grizzled Lylatian Master Sergeant spoke up, puffing on a loaned cigar. "There goes one tough son of a bitch."

**1835 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", **_**The Great Fox**_**, **_**Great Fox Bridge**_**, Linksis Dawn System**

"Glad you could show up, Spartan." Fox McCloud stated as best he could, extending an undamaged paw towards the super soldier.

John gently took the offered paw and immediately went to parade rest; his hands clasped behind his back crisply. "Sir."

"Relax, Jolly Green. This ain't anything formal, man. Relax, take a chill pill. We won." Falco chuckled, sitting at a table on the far end of the bridge, counting and arranging numerous credit chips**.** "Oh, and thanks for the spending money."

While no one in the room had the ability to read a Spartan's body language, there was one being who could read emotions; that emotion was slight confusion.

"It's a long story," Krystal smiled, placing a paw on Fox's shoulder before she walked over and gave the monstrous giant a hug. However, when her body stopped a quarter inch from touching his armor, she felt a little put off until the tell-tale flare of his shields indicated that they had dropped. She giggled slightly and reattempted the hug, and found herself surprised when she couldn't get her arms around even his waist. The sky blue vixen gave the Spartan a light squeeze before letting go; taking a step back. "Thank you..for all that you did. For me, for Falco, for Fox…and for all of us. I-" The fox gave a pause, "There is no doubt in my mind that we wouldn't have won if your kind hadn't have shown up."

Cortana was the first to speak, a small chuckle emanating from the Chief's external speakers. "Well that's no problem. It's nice to know that there's an alien race that doesn't want to kill us…besides, it gives the Covenant someone else to shoot at."

"Har-har**,** very funny**,**" Falco scoffed**.** "I've been shot at plenty of times thank you very much. I don't need some weapon worshiping freaks to start shooting at me too."

"Enough." Fox spoke, everyone in the room going silent.

"Skipper?" The Chief sounded off, "You're reason for calling me here?"

"Ah, yeah, I almost forgot. Sorry." The red vulpine said sheepishly. "Well, you and I know how top brass think right?"

John didn't speak, but simply gave a very slight nod.

"Top brass think that they can handle any problem that comes their way. Since the Aparoids**,** we've been building up our military to levels we haven't seen since the Nipolack Wars over Titania. Our military is stronger than ever…but even then…just by looking at their cruisers compared to some of our most advanced ships**;** we're not much of a threat unless we have numbers on our side." Fox wheeled himself forward, and put himself in front of the Master Chief, "The brass will want to try to win this the old fashioned way, by throwing troops at the problem. You and I both know that won't work. If we want to push the Covenant out, then we need to convince our leaders that a permanent alliance would be in both of our best interests…no…if we want to survive. General Peppy won't be that hard to sway, but its everyone else that we have to worry about."

"Master Chief?"

"Skipper?"

"Will you aid us in defeating the Covenant?"

"We can't make any guarantees…" Cortana quipped, "We will first need to clear it with the high-ups... but maybe we can assist in showing your world leaders just how dangerous the Covenant are and how we can together repel off any assault they throw at us."

"We will need Admiral Hood's permission." John replied.

"I understand. Thank you…thank you for saving me." Fox said one final time, "I know that I haven't been the most useful, but I want to do my part to win."

John just nodded.

"You better watch your back, Spartan," The bandaged up vulpine smiled, "I may just steal your limelight."

Spartan-117 didn't reply…a slight smirk adorning his face underneath his helmet.

**1845 Units (Covenant Military Calendar) CNS Spirit Dropship **_**Destiny's Right Hand**_**, Right Troop Bay, Linksis Dawn System**

"I can't believe it actually happened again!" Zuterio growled, punching the cold alloy wall in front of him, the Sangheli throwing a fit of rage at the loss of yet _another_ sacred ring.

Laughter came from Yanni. Calculating and cold. Malicious.

The younger Sangheli snapped and released himself from his restraints to grab his superior by his shoulder plates, "How can you be laughing at such a travesty!? Have you gone insane by grief!? We just lost another of the sacred rings!"

The laughter continued at a steady tempo before it peaked out to a bellow, "No! I feel a pain deep within my gut, youngling! Cycles ago I felt my spirit break along with Halo…but now that I have _this_…we can take swift vengeance."

The gold armored Ship Master held up the data cube and pressed a small notch on its side, and out of a holo-projector on the top of the cube was displayed a planet. It was very unassuming and uninteresting at first glance. A blue planet, mostly covered with water with a couple large islands making up most of the land masses along its surface. A standard planet capable of sustaining life. However, if one took a closer look, one could spy thin white lines that connected each island to the other: bridges.

"We have this! This will lead us upon our path of revenge and retribution will be ours!"

"What is so important about this planet, Ship Master? How will this help us gain revenge against the Heretics!? HOW!?"

Yanni shook his head and smiled, uttering nothing as he let the planet float in front of his face; the script, while alien, was easily translated by his helmet; his mirthless laughter once again filling the blood spattered troop cabin.

**1905 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", **_**The Great Fox**_**, **_**Great Fox Auxiliary Crew Quarters**_**, Linksis Dawn System**

Pain, throbbing pain.

"_**Why do you fight? Why do you waste your strength prolonging the inevitable? Do not sleep soundly, Child of my enemy, because when we happen upon you, you will get swept away in the raging flood waters. You may think you have won, but all you have managed to do is challenge GOD! Do not fret, for soon everything will be as it should be…soon we will all become one, and then there will be nothing left to stop us."**_

"Chief?"

"_**We will rise again, Child of my Enemy-"**_

"Chief?! W-A-K-E U-P! The Great Fox's communications arrays have just picked up a Covenant transmission!"

With only ten minutes of bunk time, the Master Chief opened his eyes and spoke. "A Covenant Transmission? The Lylatians have the ability to crack the Covenant's encoding protocols?"

"No…strangely enough its being broadcast on open frequencies on all bands…its almost like they want us to pick up on it."

"Message content?"

"It's even strange…only repeating one word over and over again…in varying cycles…just one word… 'Corneria', 'Corneria', 'Corneria'."

************

END OF ECHO HALO: RUN ALIVE THROUGH THE LIGHT

Alright, some authors notes at the end. I'm sure some of you are wondering why I italicized some stuff…I did it for narrative purpose.

And that last thing… that was Gravemind if you didn't already know. I hope you enjoyed it, and I pray that you review.

AND A GREAT THANKS TO EVAN WOLF, or Tex-Hempioro, a fellow author, for reading this and beta-ing it!

AND A GREAT THANKS TO SYXX FOX TO EVEN LET ME WRITE THE END OF THIS SERIES!!

I have to say everyone, it's been fun, and I'm glad you could all enjoy the story that I have painstakingly put to an end. Thank you all.

Here is an alternate Gravemind monologue that I had in mind, but I decided to keep with the original for the sake of it:

"_**Why do you fight? Do you wish to inspire hope by prolonging the inevitable? Are you so conceited to believe that you had truly bested us? No…no…you have but only challenged a GOD AND FREED us from our prison! You… will never rest, Child of My Enemy, for when we begin, you will be swept away by our insatiable currents; dragged under to suffer the same fate as those before you. However, when that time comes, do not fear it, Child, EMBRACE IT!! Then everything will be as it should…soon we will all become one…and when that day comes, there will be nothing left that can stop us."**_

And yes, I did bring in the mentioned Ensign Everest from a couple of chapters ago just for the heck of it. Lol.

And if you're wondering about Falco's credit chips…we won all of that money off of those soldiers from the chapter before. :D

(NOW SYXX CAN HAVE HIS AUTHORS NOTES HERE)

* * *

Publishers Note "_I would like to write an authors note, but I didn't help much in this last chapter, but I guess I am the publisher. I'm happy to be out the window with this story. 'IO' did a wonderful job finalizing the last installment of this story. Thanks to 'Tex' as well for Beta reading, and still a part of the team. This was a story that the whole community became involved with, and it will end no differently. I hope everyone enjoyed the story, as much as the three of us did to write it."_  
-Love  
_SyxxFox_


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